The Supreme Master Ching Hai eNews

In this DVD, Master discusses a broad range of topics related to both spiritual cultivation and day-to-day existence. For instance, regarding the single life, She says, "Being alone is also a privilege." Why is that so? In addition, the following questions are addressed. In rendering worldwide relief to disaster victims and the needy, how does Master decide on the forms of assistance to be provided in various situations? When our livelihood depends on a job that exhausts us both physically and mentally and even undermines our spiritual progress, what action should we take? What are the unique qualities that help women reach sainthood more easily? Master also delivers a wonderful discourse on marital relations and social interaction, making this DVD all the more appealing to fellow initiates and the general public alike.

Supreme Master Ching Hai's Latest CDs

CD-EG147 <In English> (V. 729)

Achieving Greatness is Following Your Ideals

Master's meeting with resident disciples

at the Florida Center, U.S.A., April 18, 21 and 25, 2001

Would you like to learn about Master's fascinating experiences while piloting a speedboat in the vast ocean, and savoring a Christmas pudding with a "heavenly taste" in Ireland? In this CD, Master shares many such humorous and entertaining anecdotes from Her life and also tells amusing jokes. She describes Her personal encounters with hidden traps in real estate advertisements, providing a valuable reference for those who are in the market for a home. Master also recounts entertaining incidents that occurred during Her lecture tours, and discusses Her dream of driving a huge travel trailer to attend group meditation sessions around the world. Don't miss this highly enjoyable CD!

Supreme Master Ching Hai's Latest MP3s

MP3-CR13 <In Chinese>

One Thought from an Enlightened Master before Death Can Produce Instant Elevation

Three-day Retreat at the Hsihu Center, Formosa, April 3-5, 1992

7. One Thought from an Enlightened Master before Death Can Produce Instant Elevation

Please visit our bookshop's website to download our catalogue and summaries of the contents of Master's latest publications: http://www.smchbooks.com/ (in English and Chinese)

Special Reports on the Tenth Anniversary of Ching Hai Day

Peru

A Brilliant Ching Hai Month in Peru

October is a highly significant month for Peruvians because of the many Catholic celebrations held at that time. For disciples of Supreme Master Ching Hai, this period is also especially significant because October 25 is Supreme Master Ching Hai Day.

To celebrate this meaningful time, initiates from Lima began by holding an exhibition of Master's publications at the city's annual Chinatown Fair. In responding to the exhibit, many visitors expressed keen interest and joyful curiosity about the Quan Yin Method and Master's teachings. The initiates then encouraged them by distributing leaflets with information on the Lima Center and its days and hours of operation, and also invited the guests to the video seminars that were planned for October, 2003.

Following up on this successful event, fellow practitioners decided to make October "Supreme Master Ching Hai Month" in Peru and conducted five video seminars in various cities.

The first seminar was held on Saturday, October 11 at the Drivers Union in Tacna City. In the early morning, people began arriving, gladly welcomed gifts of The Key of Immediate Enlightenment sample booklet and enthusiastically viewed the video lecture The Mystery of the World Beyond. Many were convinced of the veracity of Master's message, and approximately a third of the guests stayed behind to learn the Convenient Method.

Then, with much love in her heart, a Buddhist sister invited the initiates to visit her home, and sincerely offered it as a place to hold regular group meditation sessions. In this way a new meditation Center was established in Tacna.

The second seminar was held on October 15 at the auditorium of San Augustin University in Arequipa, which can accommodate about a hundred people. With its warm atmosphere, the venue was soon filled to capacity. During the video The Mystery of the World Beyond, the guests were mesmerized by Master's voice and showed great interest in the message of Truth She imparted, with over half asking to learn the Convenient Method. Following the video presentation a journalist from a local magazine requested an interview, which was arranged for the next day, and guests were invited to come along to watch the video again and share their experiences. The experience-sharing session was most satisfying and peaceful.

Another seminar was conducted on October 25 at the National Library of Lima City. The Library's ample auditorium, which seats over 300, was filled to capacity. As with the previous seminar, Master's voice and teachings captivated the audience, and afterwards approximately a hundred people received the Convenient Method and later expressed their happiness, with some experiencing very beautiful inner realms. One gentleman told a work team member that he was very grateful to the seminar's organizers because his life will surely improve through his participation. Next, the initiates offered a delicious vegetarian buffet in the Library’s anteroom. The guests savored the fine food while listening to Master's sweet songs and feeling Her radiant presence, which brought brightness and a radiant smile to everyone's face.

The final two seminars were held on October 30 and 31 at Lima City's San Jorge Jail, where the directors allowed the initiates to disseminate Supreme Master Ching Hai's teachings among the prisoners. At the end of the video lectures, the inmates developed an appreciation of meditation, and more than 200 appeared peaceful and bright as they received the Convenient Method. Afterwards they asked the initiates to return to the Jail every fifteen days.

Peruvians call October "Miracle Month," and it was certainly so this year for Peruvian initiates as they successfully completed their cycle of five video lectures, with God-given determination and strength, showing numerous people the way to obtain peace, love and blessings through Supreme Master Ching Hai's teachings.

Work team members from Lima and Arequipa　

Cameroon

The Douala Center Celebrates its First Ching Hai Day

On October 25, 2003, initiates from the Douala Center, Cameroon, Central Africa celebrated Supreme Master Ching Hai Day for the first time. The Center was beautifully decorated for the occasion to welcome guests, who traveled from all corners of Douala to share Master's special day. The Convenient Method practitioners and initiates in attendance expressed their love for Master by performing many songs and poetry recitations. Captivated by Master's wise words during a video presentation, the guests expressed deep interest in and respect for Her teachings by asking many insightful spiritual questions. The initiates also shared with the guests how their daily lives have changed since coming into contact with Master's teachings. Then, during a question-and-answer session, the Cameroonian brothers and sisters expressed their interest in and devotion to Master's teachings through their thoughtful responses to the visitors' questions.

Moreover, a buffet of vegetarian food was served and greatly appreciated by everyone, with some people asking for further information about vegetarianism and seeking to learn the recipes. The celebration took longer than planned and since it was the rainy season in Cameroon the initiates wondered if it would rain. But to everyone's surprise it remained sunny all day! However very late at night after the celebration it rained until the next morning. It was then that the initiates realized that Master's love is always present and takes good care of everything. Thank You, Master, for Your arrangement and unlimited love. The Cameroonian brothers and sisters wish You a Happy Ching Hai Day!

Taipei, Formosa

A Joyous Opening and Gratifying Ching Hai Day Celebration

On October 25, 1993, the US government conferred on Supreme Master Ching Hai the International Peace Award along with Honorary Citizenship, proclaiming October 25 "Supreme Master Ching Hai Day" in recognition of Her humanitarian work and contributions to world peace. On October 25, 2003, the tenth anniversary of Ching Hai Day, Taipei fellow initiates held a grand inauguration of the newly established Love Ocean Arts Center. Besides celebrating the formal opening of the Center, they also prayed for the light of peace to shine forever throughout the universe and for Master's infinite love to embrace the Earth!

The display walls of the Love Ocean Arts Center shone with beauty and profound spiritual meaning as bulletin boards entitled "Traces of the Lotus Feet" presented a concise, concrete account of Master's touching journey over the past decade as She led Her disciples in devoted worldwide work for humanity. The boards recorded the Supreme Master's love of life and unending efforts to uplift the physical, mental and spiritual condition of Her fellow human beings. An exhibition of Master's artistic creations was also a focus of visitors' attention as huge eye-catching pictures and text clearly revealed the limitless inner talents of the Sage. Other elements of the display included information on our enlightened Master's numerous achievements in promoting spirituality and world peace, and a record of Her awards reflecting Her divine love and benevolent deeds.

On its inaugural day, the Love Ocean Arts Center bustled with joy and enthusiasm as the Celestial Clothes and Celestial Jewelry showrooms attracted great attention with their brilliance and grace. Guests also lingered in the exquisitely decorated spiritual bookstore, where Master's publications were on display. In addition, visitors lavishly praised the wide array of vegetarian delicacies offered at the health food booths. During the event, an elderly couple gazing at a large photo of Master concisely expressed everyone's heartfelt feelings: "Supreme Master Ching Hai is like the loving Mother Earth. Her shining eyes look at us and bestow on us a joyful energy. We feel a warm stream filling our hearts - so cozy and warm!" Several residents of the Gold and Silver Twin Star Building (where the Arts Center is located) asked a fellow initiate receptionist, "It's so peaceful and uncompetitive here as if it were Heaven. May we come every day to enjoy the art work and refresh ourselves?" This question highlighted the multi-functional purpose of the Love Ocean Arts Center. The fellow initiate then told them the Center's hours of operation and invited them to visit its website.

Many Formosan celebrities were among the visitors to the Center's inaugural celebration, including Mr. Gu Min, Director of Formosa's Legislative Yuan Library, who said the following in his opening speech: "The Love Ocean Arts Center is not only an arts center, but also a place to open one's spiritual life to joy and comfort. Congratulations on the opening of the Love Ocean Arts Center on Ching Hai Day. Let us spread our love far and wide!" Board Director Liu of the Gold and Silver Twin Star Building spoke next, saying, "Looking back at the empty dullness that was here before this place was rented, and comparing it with its abundance and variety today, we're happy to see the change. Some residents were once worried about the crowds and noise, but now they should know that their concern was unnecessary. I believe we'll be good neighbors who show mutual help and cooperation." Miss Sharon Wu, President of the Rong Hwang Lions Club, then said, "Supreme Master Ching Hai is a great Master who elevates people's spirit and quality of life. She is also the spiritual teacher for whom I have the greatest respect and admiration. The opening of the Love Ocean Arts Center today is another merit of Master blessing the citizens of the world. We sincerely wish that the Love Ocean Arts Center will prosper and benefit more people with affinity!"

Another distinguished visitor, Zen poet Mr. Yang Ping, established a deep affinity with Master in January 2003 during the exhibition of Her paintings at the Taipei Municipal Social Education Hall. In lauding Master's work he said, "From the display walls of the Arts Center, I have read about a great Master's many efforts to save the world and deliver its people. They provide a Saint's testimony not only for you Quan Yin family members to read carefully, but also through which the general public can realize Master's love, devotion and determination in delivering sentient beings. Through the Love Ocean Arts Center exhibit, I believe the public will gain a higher and more accurate assessment of Supreme Master Ching Hai."

Mr. Frank W. Stevenson, a professor of English at National Taiwan Normal University, who has long been interested in meditation and spiritual cultivation, was also attracted to the Center. He showed a deep interest in Master's method of spiritual elevation and asked for relevant information about the Quan Yin Method for further study. Moreover, many visitors asked to learn the Convenient Method.

The Supreme Master Ching Hai Day opening celebration was a lovely beginning for the Love Ocean Arts Center, which now offers a regular, long-term channel giving the general public more exposure to Master's teachings and artistic creations. As one resident saint who attended the event said, "Let's share Master's love with people, manifest Heavenly truth, virtue and beauty in the world, and let every visitor enjoy elevation of body, heart and spirit."

Hong Kong

Ching Hai Day has become an annual celebration for Hong Kong initiates, bringing them warm, happy memories.

Costa Rica

A Wonderful "Supreme Day"-fellow initiates and their friends and relatives celebrate Ching Hai Day at the beautiful San Jose Center.

Canada

Canadian fellow initiates express their highest appreciation and deepest gratitude to Master through joyous celebrations and entertaining programs on Ching Hai Day.

The United States

To celebrate Ching Hai Day, about a hundred seventy fellow initiates from the northeastern United States and Canada attend a two-day retreat at the New Jersey Center, their hearts filled with Master's blessings, peace and happiness.

Ohio initiates hold a small celebration on Ching Hai Day in a spirit of thanksgiving. The October 25, 1993 recognition of Master's contributions to the world is read aloud, along with this year's e-mail message wishing Master a happy Ching Hai Day. Later, a beautiful cake decorated with the delicious frosting inscription "Happy Master Ching Hai Day" is shared in the warm atmosphere of Master's love.

Penghu, Formosa

For the Ching Hai Day celebrations at the Penghu Center, the Center is divided into four areas including a video presentation of Master's teachings, a display of Master's artistic creations, a vegetarian food counter and an outdoor dining area. The initiates and their friends happily join in the celebration.

Mainland China

Panorama of Events

Report from New Zealand

Introducing Master's Teachings on a Heavenly Island

[Auckland and Hamilton] New Zealand is internationally renowned for its scenic landscapes and friendly people, and is known as the "Land of the Long White Clouds." For people living on this heavenly island, nothing could be more perfect than hearing Master's soul-elevating message. On September 27, October 4, and October 12, the country's Auckland and Hamilton Centers held three seminars to introduce Master's teachings and the Quan Yin Method to local residents, who responded warmly each time.

Many guests attended the first seminar, which was designed specifically for Chinese speakers due to Auckland's large Chinese population. Most felt touched and found answers to their spiritual questions by watching Master's lecture videos, and one man even cried during the presentation. Afterwards he could not wait to learn the Convenient Method so he went to the local contact person's home to learn it that night instead of waiting until later in the week, as originally scheduled.

At the second seminar, an Indian man holding a newspaper with a notice about the event asked anxiously at the reception desk if he had come to the right place. He said he did not live within the paper's distribution area and added that his friend had just given it to him that day. So the initiates concluded that his learning about the seminar must have been Master's arrangement, and he is now awaiting initiation. In addition, more than two-thirds of the audience members stayed to learn the Convenient Method after the video presentations.

At the third seminar, which was arranged by Hamilton Center Initiates and held in their city, a Sri Lankan family showed great interest in Master's teachings. The parents and their two young sons sat quietly while watching Master's lectures with great interest. After the video presentation, the contact person learned that they practiced meditation daily at home and had also been to many spiritual lectures and seminars sponsored by other groups, but said that as yet they did not follow a teacher. The family was so happy about discovering Master's teachings that the father and mother registered to learn the Convenient Method.

Through Master's blessing, the seminars in Auckland and Hamilton were highly successful. Not only did local residents have an opportunity to learn about Master and the Quan Yin Method, but they were also introduced to a wide array of delicious and nutritious vegetarian foods prepared by the initiates, who in turn learned more about the strength of Master's love and blessing power.

As many people who could not attend the seminars called for information about Master and the Quan Yin Method, Auckland and Hamilton initiates plan to hold other activities in the future to spread Master's teachings so that more sincere seekers may find their way Home.

Report from Thailand

Conveying God's Gospel in Northern Thailand

[Phere] Phere Province in northern Thailand is famous for its ancient native arts and religious structures including Buddhist pagodas. The province contains many initiates eager to promote Master's teachings so on October 19, 2003 they and Bangkok fellow practitioners joyfully presented a video seminar to introduce Master's message to the local community. The initiates chose the Piriyalai School, a provincial school located in an urban area as the seminar venue. Before the event, large posters of Master were hung at the entrance to the School, and many flyers were distributed to area residents.

On the day of the seminar the activities began with a large group of guests and initiates' relatives streaming into the seminar room. After the video presentation, delicious vegetarian food prepared by the initiates was enjoyed by all, and the loving atmosphere was surely a sign of Master's blessings. Later, many shared their joyful experiences after learning the Convenient Method and their glowing faces demonstrated that we were witnessing Master's Love in action.

Report from Korea

A Seminar of Truth, Virtue and Beauty

[Ansan] On October 19, 2003, Korean initiates held a video seminar at the Civil Defense Education Center in Ansan City. Seoul Center disciples and the seminar tour team braved the chilly weather to effectively promote the seminar with posters and flyers.

The Center, which was just recently built, boasts excellent facilities, and to welcome guests and cheer up the atmosphere, initiates beautifully decorated the outside of the building with colorful balloons. To offer a further gesture of welcome and inaugurate the seminar, traditional Korean dances were performed by a professional dance team directed by a sister initiate.

After watching Master's videos, the audience members, who were from diverse religious backgrounds, asked many enthusiastic questions during the question-and-answer session, and several guests later learned the Convenient Method.

Following this "spiritual feast," the audience enjoyed a tasty vegetarian meal specially made by initiates. While enjoying his meal, one guest, Mr Jeong Oh-Hwa, commented, "I enjoyed Master Ching Hai's videos and hope Her seminars can be held more frequently in our community. I majored in food science and am so happy to have this opportunity to taste soy-based meat here. It's truly well prepared and delicious. I thank Master for offering it to me and also thank Her for enlightening me."

Report from Korea

A Rewarding Seminar at the Little Angels Performing Arts Center

[Seoul] On October 26, 2003, the day after Ching Hai Day, Seoul Center initiates held their third and final video seminar of the year for residents of three districts in Seoul. To announce the seminar the initiates worked diligently; wearing ear-muff hats designed by our loving Master, they braved the cold to distribute flyers and put up posters for over twelve hours, touching the hearts of other fellow brothers and sisters.

The day of the seminar arrived with beautiful blue skies, nature's colorful autumn leaves and glorious sunshine blessing the area. The lecture hall, The Little Angels Performing Arts Center, is a famous and luxurious cultural center in Seoul. Since the Center is located at the entrance to the Children's Grand Park, the event attracted great attention from families who visited the Park on Sunday with their little ones, and about 300 people attended to find their way Home.

Before the official start of the seminar, the initiates showed the video Looking at the past?Stepping into a bright future. Early Arrivals watching the presentation were deeply moved by Supreme Master Ching Hai's loving and compassionate deeds throughout the world. After the video, the initiates also shared with the guests Master's loving response and charitable contributions to the Korean people, especially victims of the recent Daegu Subway Disaster and of the flooding caused by Typhoon Maemi.

Following the introductory video Walk the Way of Love, about Master, the initiates presented Her lecture in Formosa during the 2000 Asia and Oceania Lecture Tour, and the saintly audience watched calmly and attentively throughout the screening. After the video presentation, participants raised sincere questions about Master, meditation and vegetarianism, and were enthusiastic about finding the path to enlightenment. Afterwards about a quarter of the participants learned the Convenient Method.

This year, Seoul Center initiates conducted three video seminars, with about 1,000 guests attending and hundreds learning the Convenient Method. They also assisted at many other video seminars held by other Korean centers, and their diligent efforts yielded both inner and outer improvements; so the Seoul brothers and sisters are inspired to continue spreading Master's teachings in future years.

Report from Japan

A Vegetarian Buffet to Promote Friendship

[Tokyo] On September 21, 2003, the Tokyo Center held a vegetarian buffet after group meditation, serving Convenient Method practitioners and friends interested in vegetarianism and the Quan Yin Method an array of sumptuous dishes prepared by fellow practitioners.

The heavy downpour that day did not dampen the interest of the earnest guests. The buffet featured a great variety of exotic vegetarian cuisine that filled two large tables. It was indeed an international feast comprised of Japanese, Chinese and Aulacese foods.

While the initiates and Convenient Method practitioners enjoyed their meals, they exchanged insights on spiritual cultivation in a natural way that enabled them to better understand their difficulties on the path and find answers to questions about vegetarianism. One Convenient Method practitioner, a Japanese Buddhist monk who had come from afar, said that since coming to know Master's teachings he has had an intense yearning to receive initiation and help share the Truth.

Fellow initiates and guests also exchanged ideas on religious and health matters. In particular, one fellow initiate who practiced Chinese medicine delivered a brilliant talk on the importance of the vegetarian diet from the standpoint of Chinese healing methods.

By day's end, the participants all agreed that they had enjoyed a fulfilling and wonderful feast in a relaxed and joyous atmosphere!

Gaining Insight and Inspiration from Working as One

[Tokyo] From October 6 to 29, 2003, fellow initiates from the Tokyo Center held an exhibition of Supreme Master Ching Hai's paintings at a cafe in downtown Tokyo. A video seminar was also held at an adjacent conference room on October 11.

The seminar attracted more guests than expected and the seat in the seminar room were soon filled. First a brief video introducing Master's life was presented, followed by Master's lecture at the United Nations. A fellow initiate who is a painter then shared her feelings and insights about art and spiritual practice. Finally, having gained a fundamental knowledge of Master's teachings, many guests interested in meditation asked to learn the Convenient Method.

From the preparatory stage of the seminar right through to its successful conclusion, Tokyo initiates demonstrated a strong team spirit, working together in a concerted effort to accomplish various tasks. The initiates deeply appreciate God's arrangements and blessings, and pledge to apply the beneficial lessons learned from this new experience in their life and work.

Report from Ontario, Canada

An Uplifting Video Seminar in Toronto

[Toronto] On September 28, 2003, the Toronto Center held a public video seminar at the North York Central Library to introduce the Quan Yin Method to local residents.

Toronto initiates enthusiastically supported the seminar, and brought a serene yet lively atmosphere to the venue. One guest who viewed Master's paintings felt energy emanating from them. And another woman, who is a painter herself, was deeply impressed by Master's painting "Song of the Sea," which expresses the terror of the abrupt natural changes caused by an impending typhoon in Formosa. In the picture, the ocean churns grandly, the sky is filled with rain, and seagulls charge against the wind. The woman commented that no one could have captured the scene more effectively than Master had, as she herself once experienced a tornado's devastation while living in her homeland, Barbados.

The initiates also felt Master's intense blessings throughout the seminar. One sister even smelled incense while Master's lecture was being presented. Also, after attending the seminar, a female guest said that listening to the talk had been a truly enlightening experience.

Many dozens of sincere Truth-seekers remained after the video presentation to learn the Convenient Method and mingled to ask questions afterwards. Through this uplifting event, Toronto initiates confirmed for themselves Master's teaching that our sole purpose in coming to earth is to bless the world and share the good news about the Truth with as many of our fellow human beings as possible.

Report from Quebec, Canada

Montreal's Most Successful Video Seminar Ever

[Montreal] On Sunday, November 2, 2003, Montreal initiates held a video seminar at their center to introduce Master's teachings to local Truth-seekers. Prior to the event, the initiates distributed flyers, put up posters, invited friends and announced the news of the seminar in local French, Chinese and Aulacese newspapers as well as on the internet. These tasks and all the others involved in the event were carried out wholeheartedly and lovingly.

The initiates were pleased by the turnout, which set a record for seminars organized by the Montreal Center, as every seat in the seminar room was filled. Thanks to Master's strong love and guiding hands the seminar was carried out smoothly and the lectures were greatly appreciated by all participants. After the video presentation, the MCs held a question-and-answer session, allowing guests to raise numerous insightful questions, and many signed up to learn the Convenient Method afterwards.

During the week following the seminar, the Montreal Center continued to receive phone calls asking if people could still come and sign up for the Convenient Method, and their wishes were fulfilled on the following Sunday. Since that time, the new fellow practitioners have been returning to the Center to attend the regularly scheduled Convenient Method group meditation sessions. It was truly fulfilling to see how the seminar helped these new members of the Quan Yin family embark on their spiritual journey Home!

Sincere spiritual seekers watch Master's lecture in bliss and ecstasy.

Guests' questions are answered individually by initiates and at the information table.

A tasty and nutritious vegetarian buffet satisfies all the guests' palates.

Report from Missouri, USA

Master's Power Elevates the Consciousness of St. Louis Residents

[Missouri] On October 5, 2003, the Missouri Center participated in the Heartland Wholistic Living Expo in St. Louis, and also held a video seminar near the Expo hall. Through these activities, Missouri disciples, small in number yet great in faith and perseverance, had their most positive group experience yet in sharing Master's teachings.

During the Expo, the initiates set up a booth where Master's publications were displayed and Her videotapes presented, And the number of people who visited the booth longing for spiritual knowledge and open to receive Master's message was at a level never seen before in the St. Louis area. In addition, the video seminar also had a large attendance, and afterwards, half the audience members stayed behind to learn the Convenient Method. Through these strong positive responses from the public, the initiates affirmed for themselves that the whole planet's consciousness has been elevated.

Participating in the Heartland Wholistic Living Expo and video seminar gave Missouri initiates another chance to work and grow together and to experience many practical manifestations of Master's love. At the end of the day, everyone involved was radiant and felt deeply contented despite their fatigue.

Report from Michigan, USA

Linking Hands for Peace

[Ann Arbor] On Sunday, October 19, 2003, initiates from the Michigan Center participated in Ann Arbor's Human Chain for Peace rally in an effort to reach out to the city's residents and support peace and harmony among its Jewish, Islamic, Arab and Palestinian communities and also among other religious and cultural groups. The event was organized by the Megiddo Peace Project* -an organization with headquarters in Ann Arbor that promotes worldwide harmony and affirms the United Nations' movement-Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-violence for the Children of the World.

From 2:30 to 3:30PM an attempt was made to organize a line of people stretching seven and a half miles from Ann Arbor's Islamic Center downtown to the Jewish Community Center and the city's two Jewish congregations. It was hoped that participants would join the line along the route, which passed a number of churches and also went through the University of Michigan's central campus.

Practitioners from the Michigan Center linked hands with other participants at one of the line's downtown Ann Arbor sites. The weather was reasonably warm and sunny, and there was good attendance despite it being the first time that such an event had been tried. It was encouraging that so many people were willing to devote some of their precious time to link hands for peace, creating a positive feeling of love and compassion.

Following the demonstration, the initiates handed out flyers to participants and passersby with the nurturing thought that people would realize the love generated that afternoon related directly to Master Ching Hai's message.

Report from New Jersey, U.S.A.

Sharing the Supreme Message at a Holistic Fair

[New Jersey] In order to share Master's teachings and the Quan Yin Method with local residents, initiates from the New Jersey Center again participated in the Body, Mind & Spirit Fall Festival, held on October 19, 2003 at a nearby Holiday Inn.

It was God's arrangement that the Center's exhibition booth was situated at the center of the venue, with Master's oversize photo placed on one side, blessing the whole area. The initiates encouraged each other during the event, confident that their participation would be successful. One woman who visited the booth said that the ambiance at the Festival was peaceful and harmonious, totally different than that of a similar exhibition she had recently attended. She was quite certain that the Center's booth was the source of this uplifting atmosphere. The initiates told her that the effect was entirely due to Master's love and blessing! Also, a staff member from another exhibitor's booth pointed at Master's photo and said, "This oriental lady has appeared in my dreams twice!"

Since the main theme of the Festival involved spiritual cultivation, most visitors had had experience with meditation or other spiritual pursuits. So when the initiates introduced the Quan Yin Method, they were readily inclined to accept the idea. Many guests browsed through the Supreme Kitchen cookbook with great interest, and were amazed to note that purely vegetarian ingredients can be used to create so many delicious, aromatic and attractive dishes! Numerous people also asked about the location of the New Jersey Center and the hours when it is open, hoping to learn more about the Quan Yin Method.

By participating in the Body, Mind & Spirit Fall Festival, New Jersey initiates hoped to share with the world the supreme message from Heaven so that others, while enjoying a high standard of material existence, might also pay greater attention to spiritual elevation, and ultimately attain balance in their physical, mental and spiritual development.

Master's Light Brightens Two Successful Video Seminars

[New Jersey] Over the past several years New Jersey initiates have shared Master's teachings through weekly broadcasts of Her lecture tapes on a local cable TV station. In order to choose the best time slot to introduce the Quan Yin Method to a larger audience, the initiates always arrive early at the station whenever a new programming schedule is established.

In addition, on September 27 and October 4, 2003, the New Jersey Center held video seminars to share Master's teachings at the Monmouth County Library and the Morris County Library, respectively. Many brothers and sisters actively participated in the preparation work, and it was especially touching to see an initiate in his seventies who had just recovered from an illness distributing flyers and putting up posters at various libraries in the area. The initiates wanted to place an announcement about the seminars on the front page of a local newspaper, but found that this was a privilege reserved primarily for long-term clients. However, through God's arrangement, a last-minute cancellation by an advertiser made it possible to place information about the events on the paper's eye-catching color front page.

At the seminars, Master's artistic creations and publications were exhibited, and the guests were highly impressed to learn that the beautiful paintings and longevity lamps on display were created by Supreme Master Ching Hai. So many people attended that chairs had to be repeatedly added to the rooms to accommodate the crowds. Afterwards, the Convenient Method was transmitted and some audience members heard the Heavenly music while meditating and could hardly wait to share their experiences while others experienced Master's inner light transformation body.

New Jersey Center initiates realize that, as usual, it was only through Master's blessing that they were able to accomplish their work smoothly and bring the seminars to a successful conclusion.

Events Date Book

To keep pace with the planet's ongoing spiritual elevation, the local centers of The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association are holding more and more video seminars and other Truth-sharing events worldwide.

You are welcome to join in these activities with your friends and relatives. For the latest schedule of our Truth-sharing activities, please visit the following URLs:

Master Tells Jokes

Be Somebody before You Can be Nobody!

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, Florida, USA, December 27, 2001 (originally in English) Videotape No. 734

An archbishop was visiting a church and suddenly he felt moved to kneel in front of the Cross and say, "Oh God, have pity on me. I am really no one. Please, have pity on me." And then the bishop, seeing the archbishop doing that, knelt down next to him and said, "Oh God, have mercy on me. I am nobody. Have mercy on me. I am no one." And then the minister of the church, seeing the archbishop and the bishop doing that, knelt next to them and said, "Oh God, have mercy on me. I am nobody. I am no one." And there was a janitor nearby sweeping the floor, and seeing what they were all doing, he also knelt in front of the Cross next to them and said, "Oh God, have mercy on me. I am no one. I am humble; I am no one." And the archbishop looked at him and said, "Look at who's saying he's a nobody here!" How humble, indeed!

The Juror with a Secret

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, Florida, USA, June 11, 2001 (originally in English)

Once there was a juror who told the judge that he didn't want to be away from his job too long serving on a case as a juror. So the judge said, "But can't they function without you at work?" And the man said, "Yes, but I don't want them to know that!"

A Bride's Surprise

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, Florida, USA, June 13, 2001 (originally in English) Videotape No. 724

There was a couple who were getting to know each other, and when the girl was introduced to the boy's family she was very, very impressed with the way the parents loved each other so much. She kept saying, "Oh my God! They were so thoughtful! And your dad even brought your mom a cup of coffee in bed every morning." She loved that very much.

And after a while, the girl and boy got engaged and then were ready to get married. On the way to their wedding, the girl still kept repeating her comments about how loving the boy's parents were and how the dad always brought coffee in bed every morning to the mom. She kept on and on about that, and then she said, "Does that quality run in the family?" And the boy said, "Yes, yes! It runs in the family, all right. And I take after my mom!"

Please visit the following websites to enjoy the original video versions of these jokes, and you may share the joy of Master's humor with those around you:

The Quan Yin Family

Robin's Story: A Soul's Yearning

by Ray and Julie Dixon, Byron Bay/Northern Rivers, Australia (originally in English)

Convenient Method practitioner Robin Yeatman lives in the Australian outback (countryside), a long way from any established meditation center. So he has been communicating with the Sydney, Canberra and Byron Bay/Northern Rivers Centers by sending e-mails, borrowing Master's publications and asking for spiritual guidance.

Robin was feeling a tug from his soul for deeper understanding so the local initiates advised him to prepare for full Quan Yin Initiation. Recently he contacted the Byron Bay/Northern Rivers Center by telephone to ask if he could come and visit the following day. After a thirteen-hour drive, Robin arrived on a Friday and stayed at the Center over the weekend, enjoying the benefits of group meditation and contact with fellow practitioners.

On the day after his arrival back home, Robin left a message on the Center's telephone answering machine describing the excitement and amazement he had felt during his thirteen-hour return trip. He spoke of feeling a peace and calmness that he had never known before, a mystical experience of well-being that created in him an urgency to receive Quan Yin initiation. The following are Robin's own words sent to the Center by e-mail.

Robin's request to visit the Center:

I have now begun my three months of no meat, alcohol and smoking, and I long for the peace of initiation. I just feel very tired and sad about the old life, and need to move on as a full disciple of our beloved Master. I can only suppose that this is all part of Master's plan to create conditions that will lead me to Her. I talk to Her in my own way, but an ember needs to be in the fire with other embers; otherwise it grows cold.

May I come and visit you for a couple of days and meet other initiates, please? Or maybe there is a retreat that I could attend? Please speak to me soon.

Robin's comments after visiting the Center:

Whenever I think of you, I am transported back to the Center and that great view across the valley. Thanks once again for your kindness to me in my time of great need. These links in a chain are - every one of them - so vital.

I am becoming increasingly aware of the wonder of my initiation to come, with all its benefits and responsibilities. The wonder that someone with faults such as mine could, first, be unconditionally loved by such a high Being as Master, and, second, be chosen to join the circle of saints in this lifetime is of a magnitude hard to comprehend. The grace of it all is very profound. Imagine not having to come back here to this world another time, to be once again caught up in all the tangle and illusion - the relief of it!

I confess that I can't be satisfied with the suggested half hour of meditation, I need more than that right now, and the benefits seem to accrue as time goes on. I can't wait for the time when two-and-a-half hours is allowable!

The initiates at Sydney, Canberra and Byron Bay/ Northern Rivers are thrilled with Robin's experience, which is typical of a seeker who recognizes Supreme Master Ching Hai for who She is. With each new soul who joins the Quan Yin family, we remember the supreme yearning and devotion that gave Master the opportunity to merge with God, which She now selflessly shares with all sentient beings.

Supreme Art

Ethereal Inspirations from Heaven - The Meaning Behind the Celestial Jewelry

An Interview with Supreme Master Ching Hai

by a reporter from Bijorcha TV

at the Paris International Jewelry Exhibition,

January 24, 1997 (originally in French and English) Videotape No. 629

Born on the ethereal inspiration of Supreme Master Ching Hai,

J: First we have an extremely important interview on Bijorcha TV today, an interview with Supreme Master Ching Hai. Thank You for coming, Madame.
M: Thank you, sir.

J: First of all, can You tell me the relationship between Your jewelry and the spiritual path?
M: Yes! Beauty, virtue and Truth are symbols of all religions so if one creates beautiful things, they symbolize some of Heaven's beauty. I think they also remind us of spiritual practice.

J: Would You introduce some of Your designs to us?
M: Yes. For example, this set is made with the "SM" logo. That's our logo.

J: How was the logo chosen?
M: "SM" means Supreme Master. It reminds us that we are the Supreme Master. Just like the Bible says, "God, the Spirit, dwells within you. You are the temple."

(Master comments on another jewelry design that the journalist has picked up.) That's a new design: Two Hearts. When two people understand each other physically, mentally and spiritually, they become one. Similarly, we become one with God when we attain perfect enlightenment.

J: So, what I'm holding in my hand now is a present to say, "I love you," right?
M: Yes, you can also use it for a wedding.

J: That's what I meant to say. It's really nice. What kind of material is it made of? Is it gold?
M: It's solid gold and diamonds. Everything we make has real precious stones and real gold, normally 24-, 22- or 23-carat. We don't use anything that's not real: It's not gold plated but solid gold.

J: (Pointing to a bracelet) That bracelet over there is very nice. It's superb!
M: It's for women.

J: When You create jewelry, do You enter into a particular state, or are You inspired by a particular event?
M: I'm inspired by God.

J: Does that also happen when You write a book or paint a painting?
M: Yes. I had never studied design before, but after meditating for many years, I became inspired. And now I can do many things such as designing clothes, designing jewelry, painting and many other things.

J: The large collar necklace over there is also very nice. Is it also made of gold? And can You tell me what it is?
M: This design is called The Hidden Force Connection. The stones are real Australian opal and the necklace is real gold with different settings. (Master points to different parts of the necklace.) For example, this gold is a little bit dull and real-looking, and this gold is shinier. It's just to create an artistic, eye-catching look and also to represent the negative and positive forces, what we call Yin and Yang.

J: One therefore rediscovers spirituality?
M: Yes. Diamonds represent our true Self, which is forever indestructible. We search for and select the best quality and color of opal as you can see. It's very rare to find such a large opal stone with a beautiful color like this.

J: Let's go ahead with Your designs. Is the choice of color important?
M: Yes; if not, then it's not attractive.

J: Yes, of course. Let me rephrase my question: Does the choice of color have a meaning?
M: Yes, yes! It also has a meaning. For example, this is a perfect white diamond and a black jet stone. It represents Heaven and Earth. And this, the whole creation, is called To the Other Shore like the boat that takes people to the other side.

J: (Holding up the To the Other Shore necklace to the camera) I think we'll have to show this one because it's really, really beautiful.
M: Yes, that's To the Other Shore. It's like a perfect Method of liberation. Just as we teach people how to meditate and find their own peace and liberation in this life, the boat represents that which takes people to safety on the other side of the sea, through the waves, typhoon and so on.

J: If I wear such jewelry, will I feel better?
M: You'll be reminded of your own greatness; you'll be reminded of the liberation of Heaven. And that will make you more inspired to learn to practice how to perfect yourself until you become the master of yourself. Then you'll forget the troubles of this world. You'll rise above all the troubles like a boat rises above the sea.

An InteAn Interview with Supreme Master Ching Hai

by Le Figaro, the French International

Radio (RFI), and Radio Enghien,

January 24, 1997 (originally in French and English)

Videotape No. 629　

J1: Your jewelry seems to bring us toward another world. Is that world the real one?
M: It's the realest one. Actually, every Master and every religious scripture has told us that this world is unreal. And the world that we aim toward inside, like what Jesus or Mohammed or Buddha pointed toward, that's the real world. It's the real world that we can find during our moments of silent contemplation, and the jewelry here is just a reminder of the beauty inside.

J1: Why did You go so far as to give a meaning to each piece of jewelry?
M: It's because I think that the greatest aim in this life is to find the Kingdom inside us, to find the wisdom or the Godhood inside us. So anything we can do toward the act of bringing us to this Kingdom is the perfect way. Be it jewelry, be it clothes, be it the way we live our lives, everything we do must bring us toward the remembrance of the Kingdom of God. That should be the goal of our life.

J1: Does Your jewelry have an influence on the people who wear it or the people who are around it?
M: I think people also influence themselves. If they've chosen this kind of jewelry, it means they already have this kind of tendency. They want to remember the Kingdom of God; they want to remind themselves and surround themselves with the Heavenly beauty.

J1: How strongly do religion and the Buddha inspire Your work?
M: It's not only the Buddha. I'm a disciple of all the great Masters: Jesus, Mohammed, Buddha, you name it. Because all the great Heavenly beings, divine Masters like Jesus, Buddha and so on, all teach us the same thing. They teach us to be a good guest on Earth, to live a good human life, and to remember the origin, which is the Kingdom of God or the Buddha's Land. These are named differently, but they're the same to me.

J1: The word that sums up this collection: Is it "God?" Is it "wisdom?" Is it "Heaven?" What is it?
M: We call it "Celestial Jewelry," "the Celestial Collection of Beauty." For example, we have a whole collection of clothing and interior decoration items such as lamps and paintings. Everything I do is inspired from Heaven. I don't think that I, as a mortal, am capable of creating such beautiful things. They're just inspired from Heaven so we call them "the Celestial Collection of Beauty."

J1: Clothing, jewelry, poetry: You seem to be interested in everything. Do You have one thing that You prefer, or do You like everything?
M: I actually like everything that I've done. Because it's not me who did it; it's the Father inside who inspired me and helped me to bring it into realization. Because I never studied these things before: I never studied painting or design or jewelry or clothing. I never had any idea about these things; it just came after many years of meditation practice, of going inside and finding wisdom.

J1: What's the purpose of the jewelry that You create?
M: The first aim is to remind people of the beauty from Heaven. That's why each design has a name of its own. The general name is Celestial Jewelry, and each design has a very spiritual name such as To the Other Shore, or Liberation, or Wisdom Eye, or The Future Buddha, or Meditating Quan Yin, or Bodhidharma, or God's Child, or Little Angel and so on. All these are noble names from Heaven to remind us of our own Nature within.

And the second aim is to earn some money for myself so I don't have to rely on my disciples because I never take donations. Of course, the jewelry, fashions and paintings earn a lot of money. And this money I want to give to people who are in disasters or in need, like in poverty or an emergency.

J1: How much time do You need or take to create?
M: Each piece is different. Some take longer; some take shorter. The longest would be about a week, and the shortest perhaps a day or even half an hour; it depends. Sometimes I'm very inspired: In one day, I can make about ten or twenty designs or in one night perhaps thirty clothing designs. At those times I don't sleep all night. I work from dusk until the next dawn.

J1: We know that You're very busy. How do You find time to do that?
M: Because as I said, sometimes I'm inspired. I can work the whole night and whole day and then finish one section very fast. And I just do it when I have time. If you want to do something, you'll find the time for it.

J1: Is the artistic inspiration contagious to Your disciples; do they become artists, too?
M: Yes! Some of them also suddenly become artists overnight. And they suddenly write poetry, or suddenly know how to paint or design their own clothes. That's very good. It's not really "contagious"; it's just the meditation that brings out the best in people in time.

J1: Do You happen to refer to what other designers do and learn from them?
M: No, I didn't do that before. I never had any idea [about doing that]. I just did it from my own creative inspiration. But after I was done creating things in different fields, of course by chance, I would get in touch with many other artists, and sometimes we would exchange ideas. But that came afterwards and was a consequence of my exhibitions or my creative objects.

J1: Concerning Your source of inspiration, where do Your visions and colors come from?
M: From inside, from inside my brain! Sometimes the colors and pictures come before I can paint them out. So I have to do it fast before I forget.

J1: I have one technical question about Your jewelry: I know that inspiration is very important to You, but do You also pay attention to the materials you use such as diamonds and so on?
M: Yes, we do pay great attention to details such as the materials. For example, we use the best, most reputable gold and the best stones, and we choose the colors. For example, this (indicating one of the opals in the necklace The Hidden Force Connection) is a very rare color, and the size is very rare, too. To have a piece so big and so beautiful as this is rare. As for the gold and all the precious and semi-precious stones, we choose the best to represent the flawless Heavenly quality.

J2: I would like to know if You give meaning to Your jewelry. For example, if You see a piece of jewelry that You didn't make, would You give it a meaning, even if it's not from You?
M: Well, I think that if some other artist creates his or her own piece of jewelry, he or she is the only one who has the right to give meaning to the jewelry. So, I don't interfere with people's creations and their inspirations or their right to their own thinking. I just take it as a piece of art. And if the creator of that piece of jewelry gives a meaning to it, then I accept it. But I wouldn't give my own interpretation to other people's inspirations in jewelry, or any artistic piece.

J2: Yes. It's just that I have another question: I want to know if I show You my ring, will You give a meaning to it?
M: Did you create it yourself?

J2: Oh, no! Not at all.
M: Then I don't think I'm allowed to give a meaning to someone else's state of mind. You should ask the creator of this piece to give you the meaning, OK? I think we must respect everyone's private individual inspiration and artistic tendency. I don't always wear the jewelry I've created; I wear anyone's. If I see a nice piece that's suitable for an occasion, I'll sometimes buy it. And sometimes I buy things to give to people. But I don't give meaning to anything like that; I just buy it.

J2: I wonder if You would describe and tell us why You're wearing the jewelry collection that You are today?
M: (Referring to The Hidden Force Connection necklace and earrings Master was wearing) Today it just happened that I wore green, [almost] the same color as the opals so I thought they matched. I normally match everything to create a harmonious look so that when people see me, they'll see the oneness and no contrasting or fighting energy around my body, and so that everything I wear represents peace and harmony within and without.

J2: And which materials represent perfection to You, or what's Your preference: Is it diamond, gold or what?
M: I think everything that God created, even a piece of a pebble, is perfect in its own way. It's just that in this world we've chosen those rare and shinier stones to represent our inner shining quality. So likewise, I have to choose them; for example, diamonds, opals, rubies and so on. Since the people of the world like them, I can't just give people things that they don't like. I have to create with the things that people already like and are familiar with.

The reason people like shiny objects is that somehow in the deepest corner of their hearts, they still remember the shining quality or the Light within. That's why people love diamonds and rubies, not for the material possession of these things but because of the yearning in their souls to go back to the Light, to the shining and lasting quality of our inner Kingdom. So likewise, I use these everlasting things.

J2: Does this "Light" refer to the Light that touched You like You also mentioned with the Buddha?
M: It's the inner Light. And the Buddha had the Light shining around His head like you see in the picture, Jesus also had a halo around Him and so on. All the Saints, when depicted in a Saint's picture or statue, have a halo of light around them. They really do have it. Sometimes we can see with our wisdom eye that a Saintly person has light around him. We all have different light. Some people have purple light and some have a kind of black light. But the spiritual Master has brighter light, very bright.

So, most human beings love diamonds, rubies, sapphires and so on because they shine. They really resemble the Light within us when we find enlightenment. That's why we say "En-lighten-ment," meaning light, we enlighten. That's why people love diamonds and rubies; I think the deeper reason is that people love the Light within themselves and they yearn to know it again. They've forgotten it and they want to remember. That's why people love diamonds and other shiny objects like gold, silver, sapphires and so on.

J2: And maybe because it lasts, and they want it to last by wearing jewelry.
M: Yes! Because it's everlasting, and our true Self is everlasting. So, when people love all this jewelry, like diamonds and gold and so on, I think they just yearn to remember their everlasting Self, the soul within themselves. So, it's not really the material that they love. It's the spiritual memory, the remembrance behind all these shiny objects that makes people love them so much, not only my jewelry but any jewelry. I think the reason that people love shiny jewelry is that it reminds them of their own shining quality inside.

The Future Buddha

The Hidden Force Connection

To the Other Shore

Liberation

Wisdom Eye

Meditating Quan Yin

Bodhidharma

God's Child

Little Angel

S.M. 2003 Fall/Winter collections

Glimpses of Eternity

Listening to the Stars

by sister initiate Eva, Sofia, Bulgaria (originally in English)

Master once responded as follows to a question about whether She will show us how to listen to the stars: "Yes, this is exactly what I'm going to do."

Antoine de Saint-Exupery (1900 ~ 1944) was a renowned French aviator and author whose writings possess a musical, poetic quality that comes from the heart and aims at contacting the deepest, most humane aspects of existence. For example, in one of his works Saint-Exupery states, "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."

While working as a mail pilot, Saint-Exupery became fascinated with the stars, all the time trying to spot the tiny, glittering windows on the earth by night. The stars are "awakened souls," he wrote, that eagerly look to discover the secret of life and help humankind gain this knowledge as well. He also understood the desert, and entered a deep, serene state while flying over the barren North African wastes, where few beings dwell. While writing, Antoine de Saint-Exupery continuously penetrated his subconscious and introspected on his life. This inward-directedness gives his novels a philosophical tone, but his style is smooth and easy-going. When reading his works, one can embark on a literary journey with the author to the farthest points of the planet and at the same time to the inside of oneself.

The circumstances surrounding Saint-Exupery's death are still a mystery. One day he boarded his plane, took flight and never landed. A year before, in 1943, he wrote his most prophetic and widely read book, The Little Prince. The plot involves a pilot who has a plane crash in the desert and is left without much food or water. (Actually, Saint-Exupery had the same experience in real life.) Then a Little Prince from a tiny asteroid far from Earth appears before him and the pilot starts up a conversation, forgetting all his troubles. They talk in a metaphorical way, touching on the most vital questions of human existence.

At the novel's conclusion, the mysterious boy departs, the pilot manages to repair his plane and everything seems to be all right. Nonetheless one feels like crying as if experiencing a great inner loss; because during his talk with the Little Prince the pilot succeeds in going beyond his trivial worldly existence, stops being preoccupied with personal survival and opens up to a deeper understanding of life. He returns to the ordinary world "safe and sound" but longs to maintain contact with this other dimension he has discovered. At least the Little Prince promised that they would always be in touch through the sound of the stars: "Now my sorrow is comforted a little. That is to say - not entirely. But I know that he did go back to his planet, because I did not find his body at daybreak. It was not such a heavy body and at night I love to listen to the stars. It is like five hundred million little bells. "

In a similar vein, Master once responded as follows to a question about whether She will show us how to listen to the stars: "Yes, this is exactly what I'm going to do." When I heard this comment by Master, I immediately thought of Saint-Exupery and realized what a revelation he must have had in the desert. Thus, meditation on the inner Sound might be poetically termed "listening to the music of the stars." The last sentences of his novel go like this:

"Look at it [the surrounding landscape] carefully so that you will be sure to recognize it in case you travel some day to the African desert. And, if you should come upon this spot, please do not hurry on. Wait for a time, exactly under the star. Then, if a little man appears who laughs, who has golden hair and who refuses to answer questions, you will know whohe is. If this should happen, please comfort me. Send me word that he has come back. "

So, today I am thrilled to dedicate the following lines to one of my favorite authors:

I don't know where you are now, but I hope that my comforting words can reach you. Yes, the Little Prince has come back, and at present there are many of us who are able to listen with you to the music of the stars. The stars talk to us in various melodic sounds, and our Little Prince is as charming, joyful and charismatic as you could ever wish!

Selected Questions and Answers

Let Meditation Light the Way

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, Los Angeles, CA, U.S.A. March 14, 1996 (originally in English) Videotape No. 537b

Q: As spiritual practitioners, we all try to enlighten ourselves by meditating. Besides meditating to improve our levels, what else can we do to improve ourselves as residents of this Earth?
M: Meditate, and then you'll know what to do. Normally, it's like that. Everything I do now that you like or that you approve of comes from the fruit of my meditation. Not before - not doing and then meditating, or at the same time. Sometimes all of the answers come through meditation, and then all of your actions will be governed by their wisdom.

That's the best. Meditate first, and everything will come later. Don't worry; it will come. Just worry that you don't meditate enough.

Spiritual Motive Should be the Support behind Everything

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, International Six-day Retreat, the Young Dong Center, Korea, May 12, 2000 (originally in English) Videotape No. 701

Q: I was just thinking that a lot of karma in this world comes from the killing and suffering of animals. So if we slowly let this information out, it will take root, and then over time fewer animals will be killed, which in turn will produce better karma for the planet as a whole. And that would probably improve many other things as well.
M: Everyone knows that already. Nowadays, almost everyone on this planet is aware of the benefits of being vegetarian. Our job isn't to promote the vegetarian diet; the vegetarian diet is a requirement that comes with spiritual yearning. And whoever desires to know God will accept the vegetarian diet as well.

Q: If people don't accept God but at least accept the vegetarian diet, will that improve things, in your opinion?
M: No, not much. It's the motive behind the vegetarian diet. If they don't open up the love within themselves, eating a vegetarian diet is just an empty act. So it's the spiritual support that's behind all the things we do, not that all the things we do are behind the spiritual motive. It's a matter of opening the love in people. And all I do is raise the awareness of the love within them. Once they yearn to know that, everything else comes more naturally.

Q: Yes, that's a much more beautiful and noble aim.
M: Otherwise, you could also tell people about the benefit of being a vegetarian, like a healthier life and saving the planet and all that. It's not what you do; it's the energy of the motive.

Q: As I slept one night, I saw some cows and pigs in a dream, and my feeling was that they want me to promote vegetarianism because it will help them.
M: OK, then you can try. You can go on TV and talk about it. Each of us can do different things.

Q: Pigs and cows are also beings, aren't they?
M: Yes. Maybe they have affinity with you, and you're their savior. So why don't you do something?

Q: OK, that's great. Thank You, Master.
M: You're welcome. Each of us can choose another direction to go in. This is also fine. Everyone can do something. Some of our brothers and sisters produce vegetarian food. That's also good. The thing is, if you want to suggest that I go on TV and just talk about vegetarian food, then that's where I would lead people's minds and thinking. And then whenever they approached me, it would just be all about vegetarianism; whereas that's only a small part of my job. So if I make it a major issue, of course that will help, but it would be too slow, and I might die before I rescued anyone's soul. So any of you can do that if you feel like doing it. Some could join "Stop Smoking," some could advise people on following a vegetarian diet and so on. It's fine.

Pearls of Wisdom

The Grave is Not the True Abode of the Deceased

Most people are doing precisely that, walking incessantly on the road of life, but having no idea where their "home" is. When they die, they say they "go home" but to which home?

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, Hsihu, Formosa, September 17, 1995 (originally in Chinese) Videotape No. 500

When a person dies, be it a king or anyone else, his physical body is eventually consumed by animals, chewed up by insects and then disintegrated with time. Finally, it returns to nature and no one can preserve it. Although the kings of ancient Egypt and other countries tried to preserve their corpses, transforming them into mummies with medicines, these mummified bodies are still very different than their bodies were before death. Except for archaeological research, the mummies serve no purpose.

Archaeologists often spend considerable amounts of money, manpower and time just to unearth a dead body from two thousand years ago, and then bring it back and put it on display for entertainment. Sometimes people are really strange; they do many curious things. They're always talking about famines, saying that this place needs money and that place needs food, yet they ignore the catastrophes happening everywhere, and instead are concerned about dead bodies and prehistoric animals. In digging up dinosaur fossils and the skeletons of dead humans, they spend a lot of money, risk the lives of many people and expose themselves to the heavy risk of bacterial infection.

In excavating these objects, they sometimes also unearth lethal viruses, and it's impossible to predict such things. When people venture into the primitive jungles for timber, they may also be infected by the germs there. These germs have been concealed in the jungles for millions of years, and have never come into contact with humans and so once humans are infected, there's hardly ever a cure. But people let the germs spread through reckless excavation and tree felling. That's why we have so many incurable diseases today.

There are such terrible things happening! Germs and poisons were placed in some tombs to prevent thieves from stealing the ornaments or jewelry inside. Of course, the jewelry might still be stolen eventually. Perhaps the germs only affected the first few tomb robbers and spared the last one so he managed to get away with the treasure. Still, a lot of harm has been done to the world in this way.

People on this planet do things topsy-turvy. The most important time of human life is when we're alive. So, we ought to take good care of our body, keep it healthy and then do things that benefit society and are good for our life so that we can live happily. Also, we should cherish each other while we're alive instead of making a big fuss when people die, disrupting traffic along an entire street and slaughtering many pigs and cows to entertain guests. This incurs very heavy karma related to killing.

In the Earth Treasure Bodhisattva Sutra it is said: "When people slaughter for a deceased person, the dead one will also have to share the burden of retribution. Or, after a baby is born, if people slaughter animals to make offerings to the deities or ghosts, both the mother and child will be exposed to negative influences." For example, sometimes they might fall ill for no apparent reason. That's because the karma of killing has affected the health of the mother and baby. When a family slaughters to make offerings to the deceased, it also undermines the freedom and reduces the blessed reward of the dead. As a result, they cannot be liberated quickly or be reborn in a higher realm. People often do things with good intentions but end up harming others because they haven't studied the ancient scriptures thoroughly. The ancient sages have imparted much wisdom to us, but we don't listen. We claim that we're Buddhists though we don't understand what the Earth Treasure Bodhisattva Sutra discusses. If we understood it, we wouldn't even dare to slaughter animals to feed ourselves, not to mention slaughtering them for others.

Also, many people do silly things such as buying a "good" burial plot for their deceased relatives. They're willing to spend money on anything or to buy any piece of land, and the more expensive the better. Actually they're trying to make use of the deceased. The parents may be dead, but can still be used to protect the descendants. People buy that piece of expensive land not to let the deceased rest in peace, but to have them bless their descendants; they're very calculating in spending that money. There are people who have spent several millions or more to buy land for building a grave.

The descendants of some families are not well off, yet they exhaust their entire wealth to buy a burial plot. It's still not certain whether their descendants will prosper, but meanwhile they're already starving. Since they spend all their money in this way, of course they can't run their business any more! If instead they made good use of that money in running their business, their family would prosper immediately, and there would be no need to confine the corpses of their relatives in such graves! They're dead already, yet they still need to take care of the later generations of their family! It's regarded as "filial piety" if you do this. Otherwise, people will blame you for not being good sons and daughters. Isn't this world strange?

First Find Your Way Home While Living

When we're alive, if we fail to find the way Home and don't know where our true Home is, no one will take care of us after we die. Suppose a person is walking on the road day and night, but doesn't know where his home is and doesn't know where he should return later; is he not being a bit insane? Most people are doing precisely that, walking incessantly on the road of life, but having no idea where their "home" is. When they die, they say they "go home" but to which home? If they have no idea when they're alive, how will they know when they're dead? Failing to address this issue when alive, after death they can only cling to their graves, but that's not their real home! Anyway, graves aren't permanent either. When a war or earthquake comes along, the graves will vanish. Where will your "home" be then?

Master's Wonders

Master's Great Power Restores My Mother's Eyesight

by would-be initiate Sun, Mainland China (originally in Chinese)

I used to work in a vegetarian restaurant where I met a brother who introduced me to the Quan Yin Method of meditation. Later, when my mother became ill, I quit my job and stayed home to take care of her. At that time, my mother was suffering a great deal, being unable to eat, move or speak, but her doctors could find no panacea for her illness. By observing her suffering, I realized the ephemeral nature of human life and became eager for initiation into the Quan Yin Method. With the help of several initiated sisters, I began the initiation process by learning the Convenient form of practice.

During the eight months that I looked after my mother, I advised her to maintain a vegetarian diet. Also, the sisters kindly helped us, especially seventy-year-old sister Wen, who regularly came to my house to read Master's teachings and the News magazine to my mother, regardless of the weather. She meditated and shared her merits with my mother as well, giving her great encouragement. In addition, I played Master's Buddhist Chanting tape for my mother each day. During the last few months of her life, my mother fell ill several times, and I fervently wished that she would recover her eyesight before her departure. Through Master's blessings, my wish came true. One of her eyes regained its function and she could even place Master's photo against her lips to kiss it! The sight moved me to tears. How grateful I was to almighty God and Master, and also to the sister who helped us!

After My mother's demise, I had a vision in which a large door opened and many people came to meet her. Although I am still only practicing the Convenient Method, Master's great power has already helped my family, and Her teachings have profoundly influenced my life, inspiring me on the spiritual path. I hope that through Master's care and teachings, I will soon be initiated, gain enlightenment, and as Master says, become a wise, happy, compassionate, giving, sincere and loving disciple!

Aphorisms

The more we respect others, the less our ego and arrogance will be; the more we lessen our ego, the nobler, wiser, and freer we will be; we will be free from the bondage of this humble self, free from feelings of sensitivity, free from the pain of an inferiority complex.

～Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, Hong Kong,
September 24, 1989 (originally in Chinese)

We should meditate more and work harder with greater sincerity in understanding Master's teachings and why we're here. We should work in accordance with our capacity. We do not need to be too serious otherwise we may go to extremes. Nor should we be too casual, for we may fall behind other people's levels. Then, we will feel less and less comfortable, and feel guilty for we know that we haven't fulfilled our responsibilities. We may become unhappy and blame others.

～Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, Hsihu, Formosa,
January 26, 1992 (originally in Chinese) Videotape No. 206

The more we practice spiritually, the better we understand how to manage our affairs, the more we realize how rich we are inside and the more we know in what situation they may be applied.

～Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, Hsihu, Formosa,
June 16, 1991 (originally in Chinese) Videotape No. 176

Get more enlightened and then you'll be more loving. That's the purpose of enlightenment. Enlightenment makes us more loving, more tolerant and more understanding. That's the best outcome of spiritual cultivation.

～Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, Seattle, USA,
April 7, 1993 (originally in English) Videotape No. 348

Any event that happens in our life is for us to measure how we have grown already, how we have grown in spiritual development. If you can look at it that way, that's fine. And try to know how to react to it in the best way possible for yourself.

～Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, Five-day Retreat, Long Beach, California, USA December 29, 1996(originally in English) Videotape No. 571

Story World

The Inspiring Story of Uncle Ma

by sister initiate Chen Su-yun, Taichung, Formosa (originally in Chinese)

In September 1987, while I was working there as a secretary, Master was invited to deliver a six-day series of lectures at the Pumen Ren-Ai Home for the Elderly in Madou, Tainan County, Formosa. On September 28, the day after the lectures were completed, Master personally gave initiation to earnest Truth-aspirants in the area. So on that day, eighty-year-old Uncle Ma and I became members of the Quan Yin family.

Uncle Ma was a Formosan army veteran who was spending his last years at the Ren-Ai Home. He had suffered a stroke at age sixty and so had difficulty moving the limbs on one side of his body, and saliva dripped from his mouth when he talked. In this condition, when he met Master Ching Hai and was initiated, he knew that he did not have long to live, and decided to practice diligently. Through observing his life after initiation one can appreciate the kinds of miracles brought about by devotion to the Quan Yin Method.

Period of Devoted Practice

Each day, residents of the Ren-Ai Home follow a fixed schedule. After dinner, normally beginning at six, they gathered in the Home's main hall to watch television. However, at these times Uncle Ma preferred to retire to his room to sleep. Then at about midnight, fully revitalized, he would meditate until six in the morning, and afterwards do exercises to loosen up his body and occasionally help the Ren-Ai maintenance crew clean the facility. Upon finishing breakfast at seven, he would take a nap in his room, and then go out for a walk or go window shopping in the local area. Next, after lunch, he would take a brief rest, and meditate for another two hours. He thus meditated eight hours a day, and kept accurate records of all his meditation sessions.

At that time, the Tainan Chigu Center held group meditation sessions every Tuesday and Thursday, and on those days local initiates would drive by to pick up Uncle Ma, and he never failed to show up for his ride. Also, when there was a retreat at the Hsihu Center, he would always eagerly attend. Less than six months after beginning his practice of the Quan Yin Method, Uncle Ma, who formerly had difficulty moving, changed into a new person. Saliva stopped dripping from his mouth and his limbs became more agile. Even his dim-looking eyes became clear and sparkly!

Following his initiation by Master, Uncle Ma constantly basked in the bliss of meditation and never complained about physical ailments or needed to see a physician. The only time he consulted a doctor was when some yellow fluid began oozing out from between his toes, and the doctor told him that it was a natural excretion of toxins from his body, and therefore a good sign.

Then one day, after two years of diligent spiritual practice, Uncle Ma said, "Master has instructed me to take up permanent residence at the Hsihu Center." So, when he had completed the paperwork and made the proper arrangements for leaving the Ren-Ai Home, he paid a special visit to my house to bid farewell to my husband and remind me to practice diligently. When he departed, he left behind his bamboo hat, and I quickly went up to the car he was riding in to return it. But in a carefree manner, he waved at me with a smile and said, "Keep it! I don't need it anymore."

Peaceful Departure from Earth

On the third day after Uncle Ma moved to Hsihu, a resident practitioner there notified the Ren-Ai Home that he had passed away while sitting in meditation. It was later reported that when the local prosecutor tried to take photos as evidence of Uncle Ma's passing, the extremely bright, divine Light emitted from his body ruined all the negatives!

In the company of Uncle Ma and the other elderly residents of the Ren-Ai Home, I gained a deeper realization that birth, old age, illness and death are processes that every human being must go through. At the Home, some of the people were permanently bedridden due to illness and so suffered more while living than if they had been dead. Some appeared physically healthy, yet experienced deep depression and often tried to end their own lives.

When karmic retributions knock on the door, not even the best physician can help us. It is extremely difficult to encounter an enlightened Master in a billion years of lifetimes. The Quan Yin Method imparted by Master can liberate us from life and death, and uplift us from suffering into happiness. Old Uncle Ma's peaceful demise was the best testimony to this truth that I can ever imagine.

Front Line

A Memorable Video Lecture Tour in Romania

(Originally in English)

In order to spread Supreme Master Ching Hai's precious teachings in Romania, European fellow initiates enthusiastically formulated a plan to start a lecture tour there.

Their initial energies were put into translating the book I Have Come to Take You Home into Romanian. Also, many videotapes with Romanian subtitles were quickly produced with the help of work team members in Formosa. Thanks to Master's loving blessings and everyone's common ideals, these co-operative efforts proceeded very smoothly despite the diverse languages and backgrounds of those involved. This experience brought to mind Master's words "Love means we look in the same direction."

For the seminars, we followed the overall design of Master's 1999 European Lecture Tour with ten disciples from four countries forming work teams. Then we chose four cities from which to give seminars, including Romania's capital Bucharest, two other large cities in the heart of the country and one adjacent to the Hungarian border. Two teams distributed fliers, put up posters with Master's picture and helped with the seminars, while a third team traveled between cities to conduct the video seminars and related discussion groups. In this way, the ten disciples with just one native Romanian speaker among them gave four highly successful seminars within a week.

Everything went so perfectly that the initiates felt like small pieces of a big puzzle falling into the right place at the right time. And through Master's grace they managed to meet their hectic schedule and still have many happy moments during the tour.

Everyone was thrilled at the numbers who attended the seminars, as people entered the halls to the delightful sound of Master's voice, and were enraptured with Her appearance and message. After the Bucharest seminar, many people told us several times, "Master is so beautiful! I've never seen such a beautiful Master before and She is so full of love and joy that it makes me feel great!" In another city a woman came to the work team and said, "This seminar was such a powerful and positive experience for me that I will never forget it. I hope to see more seminars like this in our city!" And the most common questions the initiates heard everywhere were "When will you come again?" and "When is the next seminar?"

At each seminar, the excitement spilled over into the next day as people would come up to ask questions about Master's teachings, and inquire where they could meet the initiates to learn more. So some guests from the audience enthusiastically offered their houses as meeting places, and long discussions went on into the night with warm feelings shared by all. The initiates and guests felt as though they could have stayed till dawn to share the extraordinary experience of talking and learning about a living enlightened Master. The initiates forgot about time and space while talking about God and Master and the inner Light and Sound, and many guests could even feel Master's presence during our discussions. The atmosphere of these meetings was especially uplifting, with people's excitement and happiness almost tangible. Many expressed a desire to receive full initiation by our Master, and most decided to become fully vegetarian from that day on because Master's teachings are so clear that it made great sense to do so. It seemed obvious from these gatherings that "When the disciple is ready, the Master will appear."

Thank You, Master, for giving us this wonderful opportunity to help others, and at the same time granting us countless blessings that we will never forget.

Heavenly Grace Manifests in Human Love - Sharing the Truth on Offshore Kinmen Island

(Originally in Chinese)

From October 24 to November 1, 2003, Formosan members of The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association inspired residents of the offshore island of Kinmen with a series of Truth-sharing and public-interest activities entitled "Heavenly Grace Manifests in Human Love." Before undertaking the project, the initiates held a retreat at the Jinsha Center in Kinmen on October 22-23 to pray for world peace and ask for God's blessings to ensure their success.

Preparations for the project had begun a month in advance as Kinmen initiates earnestly participated in the work, while those from Pingtung and Tainan extended their help across the sea. With hearts full of bliss, the participants were completely devoted to their efforts, hoping to convey Master's love and teachings to their island neighbors.

Warming the Hearts of Prison Inmates

The activities began on October 24 with a Truth-sharing video seminar that was heartily welcomed by both the inmates and officials of Kinmen Prison. Chief Warden Qiu Xi-yen personally hosted the seminar while a prison officer provided a huge photo of Master from his collection for display in the hall. Instantly, a warm current of love pervaded the venue and warmed everyone's heart.

When Master's video lecture was presented, the audience members listened attentively to Her wise, enlightening discourse. Afterwards a Quan Yin messenger shared insights derived from his spiritual practice and explained the extraordinary benefits of practicing the Convenient Method. Sixty inmates then learned the Method and meditated sincerely, their faces shining with a radiant glow as a warm and peaceful ambiance enveloped the seminar room. One inmate expressed his hope that upon release from prison next March he can receive initiation from Master and attain the perfect method to liberation he has been yearning for.

At the end of the activity, Chief Warden Qiu received the fellow initiates in his office and expressed deep admiration for Master's great compassion and undiscriminating love, as well as for the charitable acts of fellow practitioners inspired by Her care and example.

A Feast for Body, Mind and Spirit

On October 28, the Kinmen initiates held a video seminar and displayed Master's artistic works and publications at the Jinsha Township Office.

Township Mayor Wang Yi-xin attended the event and shared his deep impressions of Master's talent while appreciating Her art. Later, in his welcoming speech, Mr. Wang said that he was deeply touched by the selfless contributions of Master and the fellow practitioners, as well as by their love and concern for the Kinmen community. Ye Jian-xiong, program manager of the local Ming Cheng Cable TV station, also arrived to film Master's art works and interview the Quan Yin messenger in attendance. The warm response of the local community to the seminar was reflected in the capacity audience that filled the venue.

After watching Master's lecture videos, more than three-quarters of the guests stayed to learn the Convenient form of practice. To accommodate the many mothers who sincerely wanted to learn the Method, arrangements were made to take care of their children, but upon being taken away from their parents, some of the youngsters began to cry and make noise. So the sister initiates in charge immediately played Master's song "Go! Go! Go!" and led the children in a dance. Upon hearing the song, the children quieted down immediately and danced in step with the music. For this, we can only express our sincere thanks to Master for Her care.

After the Convenient Method session, the new would-be initiates enjoyed exquisite vegetarian snacks prepared by the fellow initiates, thus rounding out the seminar and making it an ideal feast for body, mind and spirit!

Master's video seminar is warmly received as many Kinmen residents stay to learn the Convenient Method.

God's Grace Shines on Lie Islet

On October 30, the initiates traveled by boat to Lie Islet, nicknamed "Little Kinmen," a small, beautiful, rustic isle off the southwestern coast of Kinmen Island, to conduct a video seminar, exhibit Master's art works and offer free medical and hair-care services. As the seminar and art exhibition had already been widely announced through flyers and local media broadcasts, the event attracted a large audience.

The Islet's residents began arriving in the morning to seek Chinese medical advice and haircuts, and everyone left feeling deeply touched by the earnestness and care shown by the physicians (fellow initiates) and hair stylists (sister initiates) who offered their professional skills. Wu Qi-teng, principal of the local Lei Yu Junior High School, observed that such events have a very beneficial impact on society as they guide people's thinking along the right track. The positive atmosphere was further enhanced by Master's art exhibition. Mr. Wu hoped that similar activities could be held in the future.

After the day's video presentation, most participants learned the Convenient Method, enjoyed spiritual nourishment and vegetarian delicacies at the venue and also received Master's magazines and sample booklets as souvenirs when they left. All the guests thus went home fully charged with God's love.

Good News Widely Spreads on Kinmen

The last Truth-sharing activity of the series was held on November 1 at the Jincheng Township Stadium. At noon of the day, students from several local schools participated in the event, presenting brilliant performances in the square in front of the Stadium. The young people, adding color to the program with their adept skills and lovely faces, received warm applause from the audience. The program manager of Ming Cheng Cable TV again arrived to make a video recording, indicating the importance of the event to the local community.

When Master's lecture video was played, Her charismatic presence while speaking about Truth and wisdom immediately captivated the audience, and even the children watched quietly. After the show, most of the participants learned the Convenient Method as God's love permeated the venue. After learning the Convenient Method, an eighty-year-old grandfather noted that Master's manifestation body had come to him and told him many things. While observing the cheerful and blissful faces of the villagers after the Convenient Method meditation session, it was obvious to the initiates that the new brothers and sisters had been elevated within!

Thanks to Master's blessing, the series of Truth-sharing activities on Kinmen Island drew to a successful close, after local initiates had embedded the seeds of Her teachings deep in many people's hearts. The initiates believe that more and more Kinmen residents will embark on the path to liberation in the near future.

Members of The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association provide free Chinese medical consultations and hair-cutting services to the inhabitants of Lie Islet.

Vegetarian Era

WorldFest Vegan Fair 2003: Promoting a Compassionate Way of Life

Reported by the Entertainment Team, Los Angeles, CA, USA (originally in English)

Spread the good news and let the people go back to the natural way of life, the righteous way of life; that is, being vegetarian, being virtuous, keeping the precepts, living a simple life and thinking positively.

Today more and more people around the world are seeking a return to the natural ways of living pursued by earlier generations, including humane, healthful diets. This trend is reflected in the growing popularity of vegetarianism. For example, the Vegetarian Resource Group recently estimated that in the year 2000 there were six million vegetarian adults living in the United States. And as reported by Stanford Magazine, one of four Stanford University students is currently either a vegetarian or a vegan. Nowhere is vegetarianism more popular than in Hollywood, where film stars such as Tobey McGuire, Natalie Portman, Dustin Hoffman, Christy Turlington and Joaquin Phoenix have enthusiastically adopted vegetarian diets. Moreover renowned athletes such as Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis, tennis star Martina Navratilova and many others are also "turning veggie" as society becomes aware of the moral, spiritual, physical, environmental and economic benefits of a meat-free way of life.

In line with this trend, the non-profit group Towards Freedom, whose members are strict vegans, has been organizing the Worldfest Vegan Festival to promote vegetarianism since 1999. Each year, thousands of visitors turn out for this special event, with the majority being vegetarians or vegans. Prominent vegetarians who have attended the Festival in past years include actors Alicia Silverstone, Woody Harrelson, James Cromwell and Linda Blair, and author of the ground-breaking book Diet for a New America John Robbins.

In Her lecture "The Six Buddhist Perfections," Supreme Master Ching Hai states that the most important spiritual precept is that of non-violence, which encompasses all the others and involves compassion and love for all sentient beings and adherence to a vegetarian diet. Thus, on Sunday, September 28, 2003, Los Angeles initiates again participated in the WorldFest Vegan Fair to share Master's teachings on non-violence and the Quan Yin Method of meditation with the public, along with delicious vegan gourmet cuisine lovingly prepared by L.A. Center chefs.

A framed picture of Master's loving countenance warmly greeted visitors to the SMCH Association's booth and sample booklets were available to everyone. >From the beginning of the Festival, a swarm of visitors filled the venue, creating an atmosphere of great excitement around the Association's booth As many initiates rushed about serving food, others were answered questions about Supreme Master Ching Hai's teachings. One vegan man from San Diego, who attended with his wife and children, expressed the following thoughts about Supreme Master Ching Hai: "I read the speech She gave at the U.N. and believe what she says. I also support what She does. It definitely changed my wife and me. We would like to contact people in San Diego to pursue a more peaceful life."

In order to share with people many appetizing recipes and the ease of cooking vegetarian, over 400 complimentary copies of the video The Art of Vegetarian Cooking: Flavorful and Nutritious Cuisine were distributed to Festival attendees, who were excited to receive such a quality product and happy that vegetarianism was being promoted in a practical way.

Younger members of the SMCH Association helped out by dressing up in animal costumes representing cows, buffaloes, a chicken, a fish and a monkey with charming signs that read "Love Me, Don't Eat Me." These adorable characters attracted the attention of many youngsters, who promised their "animal friends" that they would not eat them, had souvenir pictures taken with their favorite animals and laughed with delight upon receiving their photos.

The organizer of the Festival, Ms. Sheryl Peppel, was very happy that our Association participated, frequently checked to see if we needed anything and offered the assistance of her staff. Ms. Peppel also invited John Salley, four-time NBA champion and current co-host of a Fox sports show to our booth to taste the vegetarian food and bring some home for his family.

Later, Ms. Peppel, a long-time vegan, had the chance to sit down and try the dishes prepared by the fellow practitioners herself. She later returned to the booth and told Association members how delicious the food was, saying, "I felt like I had died and gone to Heaven. I've never eaten anything so tasty. Each dish was more delicious than the next. I'm so happy that you could be here today and hope you'll join us next year. I'll reserve this same spot for you now." She also congratulated our Association on its success and told us that she noticed our booth was the most crowded with the longest line. But truly, it was Supreme Master Ching Hai's power that brought the initiates together to work with love and devotion, in the spirit of sharing Her teachings and promoting vegetarianism.

Although the festival was scheduled to conclude at six in the evening, at the request of the organizers, the initiates stayed until 7:30 so that people could continue to have a chance to visit our booth.

After a day warmed by radiant sunshine, the sun began to set, and we sincerely thanked Supreme Master Ching Hai for Her infinite blessings, which flowed in abundance during the beautiful, harmonious WorldFest Vegan Fair 2003. As we move further into the 21st century, we can clearly witness the dawn of the Golden Age through such events, wherein, enveloped by Supreme Master Ching Hai's love, thousands of strangers can unite as brothers and sisters in the noble ideal of compassion and kindness toward all beings.

A Wonderful and Appetizing Thai Vegetarian Food Exhibition

by the Thai News Group (originally in Thai)

On Saturday and Sunday, September 27 and 28, 2003, practitioners from the Bangkok Center and other parts of Thailand held a successful Thai vegetarian food exhibition in Baan Sawangthum Chachengxiow Province, approximately one hour's drive from Bangkok. This location is also used for two-day retreats and is full of greenery and flora, making the surroundings look fresh and bright.

The event was organized in the traditional Thai manner, conveying a relaxed atmosphere, and featuring a variety of Thai vegetarian main courses and desserts offered free of charge. Also, an exhibition of Thai fruit and vegetable carvings added a delicate and beautiful touch. All the utensils were carefully selected with environmental concerns in mind, and some food containers were constructed of easily disposable banana leaves beautifully wrapped according to Thai artistic customs. All the initiates in attendance wore traditional Thai costumes, which adding to the festive atmosphere.

The delectable vegetarian food was delicately and artistically prepared and thus received high praise from all the guests. Also, Master's video tapes were played in the meditation hall so that everyone had a chance to receive healthy food for both body and soul.

Through this event, Thai initiates once again had the opportunity to participate in the valuable work of spreading Master's teachings and thus develop themselves in a spirit of devoted service.

Master Tells Stories

The Universal Law of Compensation

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, Hsihu, Formosa, February 13-18, 1989 (originally in Chinese) MP3-4

I once talked about the "law of compensation," but I'm not the only one who has discussed it; people spoke about it in ancient China as well. For example, The Book of Liezi (a Taoist philosophical text written during the Warring States Period of ancient China) contains a story about a very rich man who had many servants. The man was mean to his servants, making them toil until they were exhausted, but giving them very little food in return. And when they fell ill, he didn't give them medicine, nor did he allow the elderly workers to rest.

One of these very old servants had to work all day without rest. However, when he slept at night, he often had very good dreams. Perhaps this was similar to the experiences of spiritual practitioners like us. I wonder if he practiced the Quan Yin Method. In his dreams he became a king, waited on by many attendants and living a happy, prosperous life. However, when he woke up in the morning, he would resume his role as a servant. This went on day after day. Therefore, every day he longed for the night to set in. After he finished his work, he would quickly go to bed to enjoy his dreams. (Master and everyone laugh.) His world was happier at night. So every day, he waited for the sun to set to enjoy himself.

However, the situation was just the opposite for the rich man. He also had dreams every night, but they were nightmares. In his dreams, he became a slave and servant who was punished by others. He had to work all day until he was fatigued, but he hardly had enough food to eat or clothes to wear. He suffered from hunger, the cold, exhaustion, ailments, hard labor and all kinds of distress. Every night, the two of them dreamt, but one enjoyed sweet dreams while the other was tortured by nightmares.

It was exhausting to have nightmares every night, and one day, the rich man couldn't bear it any more; so he went to a dream analyst and told him about his agonizing situation. The dream reader said, "It's because you've been abusing your workers too much during the day that you have to bear your karma by going through this painful dimension at night. The law of the universe is fair. No one has to suffer too much, and no one should enjoy himself exceedingly." Illuminated by these words, the wealthy man immediately went home and began treating his servants better, gave them enough provisions, and took loving care of them. So his illness healed gradually, and he stopped having so many bad dreams.

Such examples of karma-bearing really exist; they're not fiction. When someone scolds us, our karmic hindrance transfers to him. So don't fear being scolded by people; just worry that no one scolds you, that no one is so compassionate as to scold you. Even when people treat us badly, we should still be grateful to them. This world is truly topsy-turvy! Occasionally, we also have to train ourselves by allowing ourselves to suffer a little instead of being too comfortable. When we're too comfortable, we become uncomfortable in other respects, for instance in spiritual respects. Very few people can feel good in both the material and spiritual domains; because if we're too comfortable in every aspect, it's difficult to develop our compassion and wisdom, and our blessed rewards are also reduced.　

Love in Action

Report from Korea

Brutal Maemi, Loving Brotherhood

(Originally in Korean)

On the night of September 12, 2003, while Koreans were celebrating Korean Thanksgiving Day with family members, Typhoon Maemi struck the Korean peninsula with record-force winds, causing 131 deaths, property loss of approximately US$ 4,300,000,000, the destruction of thousands of homes and other damage. Worst of all, flood victims from last year's typhoon who were living temporarily in large containers lost their makeshift homes as a result of Maemi, and were thus left in a seemingly hopeless situation.

To relieve the victims' suffering, our merciful Supreme Master Ching Hai sent US$ 50,000 in relief funds the day after the Typhoon hit, and, encouraged by Master's great Love, the Korean disaster relief team and fellow initiates from each center in Korea rapidly conducted round-the-clock relief activities.

The initiates began by setting up a command post at the Busan Center, which is located in the area most severely affected by the Typhoon, and performed a rapid site investigation. Through their analysis, through the Internet, and through visits to public offices, the relief team learned that the damaged areas were so widespread that most victims were receiving no help. The team members then decided to visit the flooded areas and carry out on-site relief work.

Saengbiryang-myeon Township, Sancheong-gun County

The homes in this area were flooded up to their roofs, ruining everything inside. To satisfy the emergency needs of the residents, on September 15 fellow initiates visited the region and provided necessities such as water and warm words of comfort.

Jeonggok-myeon Township, Euiryung-gun County

Early on the morning of September 16, about twenty initiates visited Euiryung-gun County. At a time when the local rice fields should have been glowing with the golden hues of harvest time, shades of gray predominated in the region due to damage caused by the flooding, and the houses in the County looked like part of a war zone.

The head of Jeonggok-myeon Township happily greeted the relief team members, explained the scope of the damage, and began to guide the relief activities. The team then visited victims one by one, providing daily necessities and helping to clean up their houses and the surrounding environment. At first sight, the victims appeared extremely serious and miserable, but as the work progressed late into the night, they became more relaxed and happy. Not only did the initiates provide them with physical comfort, but also offered spiritual upliftment through Master's magazines and sample booklets.

During the project, team members were introduced to a bright-eyed young man in his thirties who had been paralyzed from a previous accident and was being cared for by an elderly blind person. The team's representative emphasized to the man that its members belonged to a spiritual organization and had come to him with the blessings of The Supreme Master Ching Hai. He showed great interest in meditation, and the group then discussed the purpose of spiritual practice, Master's journey for the Truth, Her earthly mission and other topics. During the discussion the young man cried and shakily tried his best to read Master's sample booklet. It was deeply touching to witness this heartfelt display of devotion. In compliance with his request, the initiates taught him the Convenient Method, and he continued to meditate even after they left. They were happy that he had experienced true liberation through learning about Master despite the disaster which had befallen him.

Samga-myeon Township, Hapcheon-gun County

On September 17, the relief team visited Samga-myeon Township, Hapcheon-gun County. The entire township experienced flood damage as the water level had risen to the roofs of homes, and everything inside was mixed with mud, trash and sewage. About fifty fellow initiates from all around Korea devotedly cleaned the houses and surrounding area as if they were their own and thus improved the environment tremendously.

Daeji-myeon and Yooeo-myeon Townships, Changnyung-gun County

On September 18, the relief team visited Daeji-myeon and Yooeo-myeon Townships, Changnyung-gun County, which were also in a dark, dank condition as foul odors permeated the atmosphere. Despite the circumstances, however, the fellow initiates, dressed in their yellow uniforms, worked hard in rice fields and farmhouses, providing twenty-seven homes in Yooeo-myeon and thirty-eight in Daeji-myeon with relief materials and work assistance. When the initiates arrived at one elderly woman's house, she was extremely discouraged and depressed, but after a long conversation with a relief team member, and after all her furniture and dishes had been cleaned, she became recharged and looked bright again. Later, the head of Daeji-myeon Township, Mr. Han Sam-Yoon, sent a thank-you letter to the Busan Center (Please see attachment.)

Gadeokdo Island

On September 19, the initiates visited Gadeokdo Island, one of the areas most severely damaged by the Typhoon. Even before their arrival, the relief team members could well guess how terrible it must have been when the storm surge struck the Island, which became a large dumping ground for debris. In addition to the relief team, many military personnel also helped in the local rescue effort, and promised the islanders that they would stay with them as long as they needed their assistance. A large number of houses in the area had been completely destroyed by strong waves from the Typhoon, and many were partially destroyed as well.

Most residents escaped from the Island, but those who stayed expressed extreme surprise at the storm's severity. For example, one person tearfully told us, "There hasn't been a disaster like this in my fifty years of life. The waves took everything away and I felt the impermanency of human existence. Your visit is a great comfort to me. Thank you so much."

Fellow initiates not only collected trash along the seashore but also cooperated with army personnel in carrying out other projects. While cleaning up the coast, the relief team members reminded themselves of Master, Who once referred to Herself as "a spiritual garbage collector" (i. e., one who collects others' karma), and thanked Master for providing them with the chance to check on their inner status and purify themselves through their efforts.

Myungji-dong Village, Busan City and Gadeokdo Island

On Saturday, September 20, fellow initiates from many Korean centers visited the Myungji-dong Village area of Busan City. Since Myungji-dong Village is near the sea, many of its houses and fields were flooded by Typhoon Maemi. In the midst of sandy, gusting winds, the initiates meticulously helped to clean up local roads and farm areas, including damaged green onion fields, which were especially heartbreaking to see, as elderly farmers tried desperately to salvage their crops.

After lunch, the initiates moved back to Gadeokdo Island, where they met a reporter from the Seoul Disabled People's Newspaper, who told them of a handicapped couple that needed financial assistance. Thus they quickly collected their pocket money and donated to the family. The wife was so touched by this gesture that she wept with joy over the outpouring of love shown to her, and everyone present could not help weeping as well. The relief team also took pictures for the reporter, who included them in an article for her newspaper about the beautiful actions of The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association.

Daeji-myeon Township, Changnyung-gun County; Jeonggok-myeon and Jijung-myeon Townships, Euiryung-gun County

On September 21, brothers and sisters from all over Korea gathered at the Busan Center to share their experiences during the relief project and further put their love into practice. Two video seminars originally planned for other cities were cancelled so that the Korean initiates could focus on helping Typhoon Maemi disaster victims, and an overnight retreat was planned to elevate the depressed atmosphere of the region.

After the retreat, the initiates made preparations for further rescue visits and divided into two teams, one of 51 members to visit Changnyung-gun County and another of 73 members to go to Euiryung-gun County. In both areas, many residents had lost their crops and livelihoods to the rising river water. But the intrepid volunteers attempted to improve conditions by helping to clean up vinyl houses and flood affected fields, roads and hillsides. Despite the fatigue felt by all, the initiates were able to continue their work through Master's invisible support.

Comforting Injured Firefighters

On September 22, the relief team was warmly welcomed by the fire chief and his staff when they visited firefighters from the Busan South Fire Station, who had been injured while rescuing flood victims. Some of the firefighters needed medical treatment, while others continued with their rescue missions. In appreciation of their unconditional spirit of sacrifice, the relief team offered each one a beautifully decorated gift including relief money, a thank-you note, flowers, chocolates, Master's books and tapes and other items.

The fire chief had learned of The Supreme Master Ching Hai through the Association's Korean website. He was most interested in the Association, and said he was surprised at the members' generosity and good will. Busan contact person read the following thank-you letter: "There have been many disasters in our country; however, overwhelmed by the suffering of the victims, society has not always shown enough respect and appreciation for your noble courage. So please remember that the international community sincerely appreciates and praises your devoted efforts, and it is our honor to say thank you on behalf of all the people." The Busan firefighters were also touched to learn that The Supreme Master Ching Hai had sent relief funds to firefighters injured in the recent Daegu Subway disaster, as well as to those who worked during the 9-11 disaster in the United States.

Afterwards, the initiates visited the two most seriously injured Busan firefighters, who were inpatients at a local hospital, and provided $6,364 in relief funds along with gift baskets containing Master's publications. The relief team also held a brief meditation session for a firefighter who had lost a leg and wished him a speedy recovery as his wife and other staff members joined them in prayer. Then with tearful hugs, everyone promised to continue praying for him.

Early on the morning of the 22nd, approximately twenty fellow initiates visited Cheolam-dong Village, Taebaek City, home to an abandoned coal mine. This area used to be the largest coal mining region in Korea, and all the remaining housing was completely destroyed by flooding in the Typhoon's aftermath. Since the destruction was so widespread, it took four days of rescue work to bring some measure of comfort to local residents.

The rescue team also provided bedclothes, clothing, rice and daily necessities to residents of Gagok-myeon Township, Samcheok City, Cheolam-dong Village, Taebaek City, and Socheon-myeon Township, Kyungsangbukdo Province.

The field work of relief team members during the Typhoon Maemi disaster can never be forgotten. Through this experience, Korean initiates again came to realize how important it is to put their knowledge into practice. In daily life we are often bound by personal habits and our minds cheat us into obsessive thinking, making it difficult for us to share our love. However, if we simply prepare to respond whenever the need arises, our thoughts will be tuned into Master's teachings and we will become charged with a consciousness of love and compassion. As Master says, helping others is helping ourselves, and in addition we learned that blessings for others are blessings for us.

Members of The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association who conducted rescue activities in the aftermath of Typhoon Maemi

by The Supreme Master Ching Hai

Items	Amount (Korean Won)	Receipt #
Rice	10,328,100	1-7
Relief funds for the poor	1,700,000	8-13
Relief funds for injured firefighters	8,000,000	14
Bedclothes	14,408,000	15-19
Necessities including detergent, tissues, towels, etc.	3,074,850	20-24
Noodles, biscuits	3,578,900	25-27
Underwear	6,020,000	28-32
Seasonings (pepper, soy sauce, etc.)	451,840	33-34
Boxes, envelopes	232,000	35-39
Water, generator rental, gas	368,200	40-45
Portable gas range	129,800	46
Medicine	350,000	47
Total 48,641,690 (Approx. US$ 42,300)

Report from California, USA

A Lake of Fire and the Ocean of Love

(Originally in English)

On October 26, 2003 a series of devastating wildfires began sweeping across more than 734,000 acres of brush and timber land in Southern California's San Diego, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Ventura and Riverside counties, killing more than twenty people and destroying over 3,570 homes. In the midst of the fires, a San Diego newspaper reported, "This is the worst firestorm to hit these counties in thirty-three years."

When the wildfires first broke out, San Diego initiates immediately discussed what they could do to help the victims. Initially they planned to provide bottles of drinking water for the region's evacuation centers, but then they received news from local authorities that everyone should stay home, and that all the main freeways and highways had been blocked to ensure the smooth movement of firefighters and paramedics to the fire-stricken areas. Not even postal service vehicles were allowed to operate, which meant that the initiates' donation check would not be mailed to the American Red Cross as they had planned!

Sensing the urgency of the situation, the initiates knew that something should be done quickly for the fire victims temporarily staying at the evacuation centers. So through Master's inner guidance they prepared vegetarian sandwiches to be delivered to Qualcomm Stadium, the largest evacuation center in San Diego, housing more than five thousand evacuees. The fellow initiates happily accepted assignments to go shopping for veggie ham, ketchup, sandwich spreads, sandwich bags and bread. Then they joyfully prepared sandwiches in the San Diego Center's small kitchen.

The initiates next learned that officials were not allowing donated food to be brought to the evacuation center. But through Master's love and blessings, and keeping Her principle of positive thinking in mind, they decided to go ahead with the project anyway, saying, "Well, we'll just do it and pray to Master for help." So they traveled to Qualcomm Stadium, wearing yellow and green vests bearing the words "The San Diego Rescue Team of The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association," and were ushered through several checkpoints by other rescue workers and the center's security guards. The initiates were then shown where to unload the food, and went to meet with a representative of the American Red Cross. She was really surprised to learn that the Association's members had come with a financial contribution and veggie sandwiches for the evacuees, asked a number of questions about the Association and happily thanked the initiates for their donation, adding, "Please give our thanks to your Master!"

By early November, the number of displaced residents in the San Diego area increased, as tens of thousands of people were forced into evacuation centers. The San Diego initiates then agreed that much more should be done considering the tremendous losses caused by the fires. Encouraged by emails of sympathy and pledges of financial support from other centers such as Oregon, Ohio, Illinois and Indiana, we prayed to Master for Her blessing so that we could bring more love to the fire victims.

Most of the evacuation centers were overwhelmed with material donations and were only accepting financial contributions. However, the initiates found one place, Valley Center High School, which was still welcoming materials. So on Sunday, November 2, they loaded a rental truck with packages of toilet paper and cases of bottled drinking water and headed for the school.

Valley Center High School is about 55 miles north of the San Diego Center and about 40 miles south of the L.A. Center, in the town of Valley Center near the area where one of three fearful lakes of fire, the Paradise Fire, was burning. As they traveled, the initiates saw a vast landscape of valleys, hills and mountains colored black and gray, the legacy of the awesome flames. .

At the High School, the evacuated families were housed in the gymnasium. The initiates were welcomed by a Red Cross representative, who showed them around and spared some time for the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association's Los Angeles TV crew to conduct an interview. Then the fellow initiates rapidly carried the donations to a nearby storehouse. The crew wasted no time in recording the activities and in interviewing relief workers, one of whom expressed her thanks to Master Ching Hai for Her "loving works."

"Thanks for your kindness," replied one fellow initiate, "The suffering of the fire victims reminds us to convey the love and compassion that God wants humankind to treasure."

On behalf of The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association, San Diego initiates hand checks in the amount of US$4,000 to representatives of the American Red Cross (on the right).

Report from Ohio, USA

Master's Love Transforms the Energy of a Homeless Shelter

(Originally in English)

Nearly seven years ago, Ohio Center initiates began serving vegetarian holiday meals at the Drop Inn homeless shelter in Cincinnati, Ohio. The first time the initiates visited the shelter, they noticed that the residents seemed restless and depressed, and then learned that there had been an accident involving one of the homeless and the shelter staff, after which tension developed between the residents and staff. Thus the overall atmosphere of the place was initially quite gloomy. However, the initiates kept returning each year to serve meals and distribute gifts and Master's sample booklets. And as time passed, Master's blessing power melted away the tension at the shelter and the environment became much calmer and more hospitable. Moreover, the name of The Supreme Master Ching Hai became known and loved by the people at the shelter.

On the evening of September 24, 2003, initiates from the Ohio Center once again visited the Drop Inn shelter, but for a different reason than on previous occasions. This time they had been invited as guests for an evening of dining and entertainment that would honor all those who had served as volunteers at the shelter during the previous year. As soon as the initiates came to the door they were warmly greeted by a resident who said, "I was wondering when you would be back. I missed you so much!"

After everyone was seated, the audience was immediately surrounded by the melodious sound of music coming from a well-worn piano, played beautifully by one of the homeless residents. His musical repertoire included everything from pop music to spiritual hymns. When asked where he had learned to play the piano so well, he replied that he was inspired by church organ songs and began teaching himself at the age of seven from old music books.

Then the initiates were hospitably served dinner, and afterwards an entertainment program displaying the residents' talents was presented. The quality of the performances was so professional that the initiates felt they were in a concert hall. For example, one shy-looking gentleman came up with a guitar and sat down meekly in front of the audience. But despite his appearance, the minute his fingers touched the guitar strings, the notes danced as though they had come from Heaven. It seemed his soul was already longing to return Home. Everyone then gave him a big round of applause for his beautiful playing.

Next, an elderly gentleman came up in his wheelchair and played a heartwarming country tune. The lyrics to the song recalled his youth, filled with nature and birds stretching their wings to the peaceful blue sky. Another man came up to tell a joke, which one of our members quickly recognized as a joke Master once told! (i. e., the story about a thief and a big black dog named "Jesus"; please refer to the News #128, Master Tells Jokes) The joke was narrated in a very entertaining manner, and the audience laughed joyfully, creating a happy atmosphere in the shelter.

At the end of the entertainment program, the Ohio Center initiates received a Certificate of Appreciation, which was presented to The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association. The initiates departed feeling both deeply privileged and humbled to realize that they had been guests of those who had little material wealth but who had, wholeheartedly given everything they had in serving them generously and providing entertainment that revealed a wealth of God-given talent.

During their evening at the Drop Inn homeless shelter, the Ohio Center initiates noted that the atmosphere of the shelter had been transformed by Master's love, making it a much more inviting place for the homeless to stay in. While working at the shelter each year, the initiates get a chance to witness an example of Master's blessings that pour out continuously to all corners of the world. Everyone on Earth is being uplifted by Master's blessing energy and thus has the chance to realize more and more of God's Grace.

Members of The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association, homeless shelter residents and staff unite in Master's love.

A member of the Drop Inn shelter staff takes time to enjoy a copy of Master's sample booklet.

The Certificate of Appreciation that was presented to the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association by the Drop Inn homeless shelter.

The shelter residents' talented performances win unanimous applause.

Letters of Appreciation

Letter from the Governor of Kyungsangnamdo Province, Korea

(Originally in Korean)

September 2003

I am Kim Hyuk-Gyu, the Governor of Kyungsangnamdo Province. I sincerely thank You for helping the victims who lost beloved family members and their livelihoods due to the recent unprecedented typhoon in Korea.

The typhoon caused enormous damage but thanks to the donations and volunteer services of Your association, the flood victims found the courage to stand up again, and the emergency recovery efforts were completed earlier than expected. Our province will try its best to complete the recovery work as soon as possible so that the victims can again return to their normal lives. I once again thank You for support of the flood victims and hope for Your continuous encouragement and help in developing our province.

Letter from the Head of Dae Ji Myeon Township

(Originally in Korean)

September 28, 2003

As township head in charge of the administration of our area, I am speechless with regard to appreciating the devoted service, both material and spiritual, rendered by The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association when Dae Ji Myeon was suffering from its recent typhoon disaster.

Thanks to your concern and help, the disaster recovery work is showing visible results. I am grateful for your service and kindness, but am touched even more by your recent letter to us.

In the past I was not very interested in religion, but I learned a lot about Buddhism a year or two ago. Then when I heard about SMCH Association, deep in my heart I realized something new. I think belief is truly precious regardless of one's religion and I believe everyone eventually arrives at the same Truth. I don't think we must go to church or temple to solve the problems in our lives. Since life as a whole consists of suffering, the shortcut to the Truth is the right spiritual practice in daily life.

I would like to express my respect to You and the members of SMCH Association who, in the reality of worries and suffering, follow the path of true practice, adhere to a vegetarian diet in Your respect for life, and most important of all, put knowledge into practice. People say a person who speaks only without acting is a garden overgrown with weeds. I just envy your firm spiritual path leading to Truth and wisdom through practice, not mere knowledge.

The New Testament also said you had better love each other and eat vegetables rather than hate each other and eat meat. I feel that the teachings of The Supreme Master Ching Hai are connected with the teachings of Buddha and Jesus. Please provide me with help and advice regarding the fastest method of spiritual practice. If you meditate two and half hours a day, I guess yours must be a truly good method. I think this is a truly precious affinity that will provide me with the opportunity to attain enlightenment.

Once again, I appreciate your great help and service and sincerely hope that you and all the members of your Association stay healthy and well.

Media Reports

(Originally in Korean)

Busanilbo, Page 30 September 23, 2003

Typhoon Disaster Relief Crosses the Ocean

The Leader of an International Meditation Association, Supreme Master Ching Hai, Contributes US$ 50,000 for Korean typhoon relief

Ceremony to Present Relief Funds to Five Injured Firefighters at the Busan South Fire Station. The Association Provided Daily Necessities to Victims at Disaster Sites, and also contributed to Daegu Subway Disaster Relief.

The love that crossed the ocean in the form of relief for victims of the Typhoon Maemi disaster touched us all.

At 2:00 PM on September 22, 2003, a ceremony was held at the Busan South Fire Station for the delivery of relief funds to five injured firefighters by a meditation organization called The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association. A total of 8 million Won (US$ 7,272) was donated to the firefighters.

Upon hearing about the serious typhoon damage recently inflicted on Korea, The Supreme Master Ching Hai sent US$50,000 to the Youngdong Center of the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association on September 13, the day after the typhoon struck. With these funds, Korean members of the Association carried out both material and spiritual relief activities, such as delivering needed supplies and supporting recovery work in the areas affected by the typhoon.

"The Supreme Master Ching Hai immediately sent money to us on the day after the typhoon hit," the Association's representative Jung Chang-Ha explained. "At that time, no other organization was even accepting donations."

US$ 40,000 of the US$ 50,000 from Supreme Master Ching Hai was used to purchase daily necessities such as rice, noodles, bedclothes, clothing and emergency medical supplies. The Association sent the items to disaster-stricken areas including Sancheong-gun, Changnyung-gun and Euiryung-gun of Kyungsangnam-do Province, Gadukdo Island of Busan City, Samcheok City, and Taebaek City, among others.

"Our members informed us that the temperature was decreasing and that the flood victims were suffering from the cold in Cheolam of Taebaek so we urgently purchased clothes and sent them to the area," an Association member explained.

Besides delivering relief materials, approximately 120 Association members from all parts of Korea also supported recovery efforts on Gadukdo Island on September 20, and in the Woopo area of Changnyung-gun on September 21. Before their relief activities for Typhoon Maemi, the Association gave support and donations to victims of the Sampoong Department Store collapse in 1995 and the Daegu subway disaster earlier this year.

Over the past several years, on Supreme Master Ching Hai's instructions, disaster response teams have been established by the Association's centers in various countries, and have played major roles in similar relief work worldwide in response to natural and man-made disasters. Jung Chang-Ha said that in Formosa, where the Association's headquarters is located, the disaster response team is even equipped with amphibious vehicles.

During Her youth, The Supreme Master Ching Hai, a native of Au Lac, did volunteer service for the Red Cross in Germany. Later, She renounced the world, traveled through Tibet and India and became fully enlightened in the Himalayas. Now meditation centers to spread Her teachings exist in approximately 67 countries worldwide.

Note: The title "The Supreme Master" refers to a fully enlightened Master. Reporter Park Gi-Beom

Meditate first, and everything will come later. Don't worry; it will come. Just worry that you don't meditate enough.

~Supreme Master Ching Hai

Elevation of the Soul

#751 <In Chinese and English with English and Chinese subtitles>

Non-Regressing Bodhisattvas

Master’s telephone conference with resident disciples at the Hsihu Center, Formosa, February 23, 2003

#710 <Oral Introduction in Chinese/ English/ Korean with English/ Chinese subtitles> two volumes

Celebrating Master’s Birthday

Performance program at the Youngdong Center,

Korea, May 14, 2000

#611 <In Chinese, no subtitles>

Eternal Care from a True Master

International Four-day Retreat, Washington, D.C., U.S.A., December 24-27, 1997

#571 <In English and Chinese with Chinese and English subtitles>

The True Manifestation of a Living Master

International Five-day Christmas Retreat, Long Beach, California, U.S.A., December 29, 1996

Supreme Master Ching Hai’s Latest CDs

CD-CL02 <In Chinese> (V.692)

Listening Inwardly to Our Self-Nature

Master’s lecture at Taoyuan, Formosa, May 5, 2000

CL-CL03 <In Chinese> (V.695)

A Spiritual and Intellectual Interchange

Seminar at the Academia Sinica, Taipei, Formosa,

May 6, 2000

Supreme Master Ching Hai’s Latest VCDs

#752 <In the Aulacese Language>

A Meeting of Love

Master’s Internet videoconference with Aulacese disciples, September 15, 2002

Supreme Master Ching Hai's Latest DVDs

#638 <In English + subtitles in 24 languages>

Bring out the Best in Yourself

Group meditation at the Florida Center, U.S.A., October 4, 1998

Supreme Master Ching Hai's Latest CDs

CD-EG147 <In English> (V. 729)

Achieving Greatness is Following Your Ideals

Master's meeting with resident disciples

at the Florida Center, U.S.A., April 18, 21 and 25, 2001

Supreme Master Ching Hai's Latest MP3s

MP3-CR13 <In Chinese>

One Thought from an Enlightened Master before Death Can Produce Instant Elevation

Three-day Retreat at the Hsihu Center, Formosa, April 3-5, 1992

Special Reports on the Tenth Anniversary of Ching Hai Day

Peru

A Brilliant Ching Hai Month in Peru

Work team members from Lima and Arequipa

Cameroon

The Douala Center Celebrates its First Ching Hai Day

Taipei, Formosa

A Joyous Opening and Gratifying Ching Hai Day Celebration

Hong Kong

Costa Rica

Canada

The United States

Penghu, Formosa

Mainland China

Panorama of Events

Report from New Zealand

Introducing Master's Teachings on a Heavenly Island

Report from Thailand

Conveying God's Gospel in Northern Thailand

Report from Korea

A Seminar of Truth, Virtue and Beauty

Report from Korea

A Rewarding Seminar at the Little Angels Performing Arts Center

Report from Japan

A Vegetarian Buffet to Promote Friendship

Gaining Insight and Inspiration from Working as One

Report from Ontario, Canada

An Uplifting Video Seminar in Toronto

Report from Quebec, Canada

Montreal's Most Successful Video Seminar Ever

Sincere spiritual seekers watch Master's lecture in bliss and ecstasy.

Guests' questions are answered individually by initiates and at the information table.

A tasty and nutritious vegetarian buffet satisfies all the guests' palates.

Report from Missouri, USA

Master's Power Elevates the Consciousness of St. Louis Residents

Report from Michigan, USA

Linking Hands for Peace

Report from New Jersey, U.S.A.

Sharing the Supreme Message at a Holistic Fair

Work team members from Lima and Arequipa　

Videotape No. 629　

～Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, Hong Kong,
September 24, 1989 (originally in Chinese)

～Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, Hsihu, Formosa,
January 26, 1992 (originally in Chinese) Videotape No. 206

～Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, Hsihu, Formosa,
June 16, 1991 (originally in Chinese) Videotape No. 176

～Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, Seattle, USA,
April 7, 1993 (originally in English) Videotape No. 348