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Little Message: News No. 156
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Master's WordsSelflessness and Innocence Make Everything Wonderful
Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, Florida, USA, June 6, 2001
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| Dragon Boat Festival International Three-day Retreat, Hsihu, Formosa, June 2-4, 1995 | ||
| 01. The Way to a Peaceful World | ||
| 02. Renounce Your Desire for the World but Not the World Itself | ||
| European International Three-day Retreat, April 28, 1995, August 25-26, 1995 | ||
| 03. Right Concepts Are as Essential as Spiritual Experiences | ||
| Mid-Autumn Festival Three-day Retreat, Hsihu, Formosa, September 8, 1995 | ||
| 04. Use the Power of Meditation to Purify the World | ||
| Ching Hai Day International Seven-day Retreat, Hsihu, Formosa, October 26-27, 1995 | ||
| 05. The Way to Become a Successful Performer | ||
| 06. The True Way to Achieve Immortality | ||
| Ching Hai Day International Four-day Retreat, Hsihu, Formosa, February 18-21, 1996 | ||
| 07. Introspecting on the Mind | ||
| 08. Help Others without Expecting Rewards | ||
| Phnom Penh Three-day Retreat, Cambodia, March 24 and 27-28, 1996 | ||
| 09. Zen Humor | ||
| 10. A Master's Motherly Love | ||
<Published in English and Chinese>
Coloring Our Lives is a selection of Supreme Master Ching Hai's answers to questions and concerns that often preoccupy spiritual practitioners. The volume holds readers enthralled as it explores topics such as human existence, science, spiritual practice, marriage and education. In our journey through life's disputes and turbulence, Master's new book provides excellent guidance in creating a Pure Land on Earth.
On the subject of fashioning varied and interesting lives for ourselves and our loved ones, the Supreme Master says, "While making good use of every minute of our time to lead a fulfilled, positive, happy life in the process of learning, we can also use the very lively, animated and joyous spirit derived from spiritual practice to color our lives!" Through this book, readers learn ways to beautify their lives and become intelligent, talented "artists of life" capable of taking care of both family and spiritual practice, and thus living a sumptuous, colorful, and fulfilled existence on Earth.
Your Halo Is Too Tight!
<English-Chinese bilingual edition>
Supreme Master Ching Hai does not lecture sternly, but instead often edifies Her disciples with interesting stories and metaphors. Now and then She may also crack a joke to lighten the atmosphere so that people will naturally open their hearts. This book is a compilation of 104 jokes told by the Supreme Master in Chinese, English and Aulacese and is published in both English and Chinese. Exquisitely printed in color and enhanced by lively illustrations, the text comes with a CD containing original recordings of 45 of its jokes. Readers listening to the CD while studying the vivid illustrations will be completely absorbed in Master's world of humor. The joy that Her humorous narrative and heartening laughter bring to readers will no doubt be felt year after year.
Foreword:
On the morning of December 26, 2004, a powerful earthquake measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale shook the seabed off the coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra, triggering destructive tsunamis that caused severe damage and heavy casualties in countries around the Indian Ocean. More than 290,000 lives were lost and the number of casualties is still rising.
As Supreme Master Ching Hai teaches Her disciples, "We don't just meditate. We also help people when they're in need... If we just send money and food, it's not as good as delivering it ourselves with love and care. In so doing, we also lend some of our blessings from Heaven to these people. So it has a longer effect, as well as the personal contact being perhaps more comfortable for the victims."
Thus, when members of The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association learned of the South Asian tsunami catastrophe, their immediate response was to directly express their love and care to the victims. With compassion and courage, they flew thousands of miles across oceans to the affected areas to personally share Master's care and concern. Below is a composite report on the relief work conducted by Quan Yin practitioners in the disaster-stricken areas.
In Sri Lanka, the South Asian tsunamis killed at least 40,000 people and displaced millions as the island country's entire coastline except for the northwestern part was severely ravaged.
On December 28, three members of the Formosa relief team arrived in Colombo, Sri Lanka to identify the types of aid and assistance needed by local victims, and then began their relief effort. The next day, the initiates visited the Colombo branch of the International Red Cross accompanied by the local contact person. According to the Red Cross" analysis, many districts stretching over large areas were devastated as water, electricity, roads and communications were cut off. Also, people traveling to the affected areas had to carry their own fuel because gas stations in the region had been destroyed by flood waters, and material provisions were urgently needed, as was mental rehabilitation for the victims.
Just as the initiates were considering how to efficiently conduct emergency relief work over such a vast area, Master opportunely sent a large team of assistants in the form of staff members from The Finance Company, Limited, where the local contact person worked. The Company has more than thirty branch offices all over Sri Lanka, and General Manager G.D. Ratnapala offered his staff's full support in the relief operation. The initiates and The Finance Company staff then held meetings to discuss ways of efficiently providing aid to the victims, and workers were mobilized to determine the extent of damage in various communities. The Finance Company staff members also helped in purchasing medical supplies, potable water and other relief provisions at wholesale prices, leaving the initiates truly amazed at Master's incredible power!
On the morning of December 30, the initiates were joined by another group of fellow practitioners from Formosa, and under the guidance of Mr. Ratnapala and his colleagues, the group traveled to the heavily damaged resort town of Hambantota to distribute a truckload of potable water and medical supplies and to study the extent of damage in the area. However, just as the team's bus approached the town, the driver made a sharp U-turn and stepped hard on the accelerator, speeding away from the shore along with all the other vehicles on the road and the many people fleeing on foot. The Formosan initiates later learned from the contact person that there had been another earthquake off the coast of Indonesia measuring 5.0 on the Richter scale, and fear of another tsunami had set off the residents" rush to safety. While regaining their composure, the disciples sensed the local people's helplessness and became even more determined to conduct their relief operation in order to convey Master's love to the victims.
To help in the effort, Mr. Harsha, a local youth proficient in graphic art, worked through the night in his photography studio, preparing fabric banners bearing Master's image, which were then hung on both sides of the relief team's bus. The young man firmly declined payment for his work, but accepted a Swiss Army knife gratefully offered as a gift by the initiates. Mr. Harsha also volunteered to join the relief effort the following day and requested initiation into the Quan Yin Method when the operation was completed.
On the morning of December 31, the team visited the General Hospital in Matara to determine the facility's needs. The Hospital had scores of subsidiary hospitals, and its administrator and director expressed gratitude to The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association for its care and assistance. Many local people helped unload the drinking water and medical supplies the initiates had brought for the Hospital, and each tried to obtain one of Master's photos and a copy of Her sample booklet, which they immediately began reading. Master's infinite love and compassion had indeed brought much comfort to these thirsty souls!
The Hospital made a list of needed items, including candy, toys, illustrated children's books, bed pads, refrigerators for storing medicine and blood and small water tanks suitable for local use. The relief team then divided into two groups; one purchased the items and the other, guided by the contact person's colleague Mr. Tenison, assessed the situation along the coast. The second group visited two temporary shelters, where they quickly responded to the victims" urgent need for food and daily necessities by purchasing coconut oil, rice, salt, instant noodles, spices and potatoes. Upon learning that the food was for the disaster victims, the local wholesalers had their workers load the goods quickly and deliver them along with the initiates in a large truck. By evening, the team had supplied seven hundred shelter residents.
The other group of initiates managed to acquire some of the items needed by the Hospital, which included five hundred toys, five refrigerators and 38 water tanks. Since local store inventories were practically depleted of stock, the two groups of initiates met and decided to return to Colombo so that they could continue purchasing the substantial quantities of materials still required.
For several days, the fellow practitioners sought out every means available to buy supplies, following up on suggestions by local initiates and requests from temporary accommodations centers for practical items as well. The owner of the electrical appliance store who supplied refrigerators to the relief team generously offered his home as a logistical center and place to rest. The practitioners then knew that everything was in Master's hands. On January 5, the first supply of bed pads, slippers and other materials was delivered to the hospital. While trying to comfort the injured and wishing them a speedy recovery, the initiates also visited crowded children's wards to distribute candy and cookies.
As the contact person and fellow practitioners were purchasing medical equipment from the Colombo supplier M/S Technomedics Limited, the company's managing director and staff deeply felt the rescue team's sincerity, and offered Rs. 48,000 worth of surgical disposables free of charge to be given to hospitals along with the other items. Moreover, while making their purchases, the team was allowed free use of the company's telephones and fax machines to communicate with initiates in Formosa.
In another instance, several sisters went to the main city of Colombo to purchase a load of women's sanitary items, undergarments, toys and other goods. After a period of searching it began to get dark and no vehicle had been found. At this time the supplier of the goods generously offered his van and transported the items free of charge, again revealing Master's divine power.
Later, the sisters and brothers once again formed two groups. The first visited seven local shelters to distribute mosquito incense, mosquito nets, plastic pads, bed sheets, women's sanitary items, undergarments, slippers, infant care supplies, toys, toiletry items, curry powder and other provisions needed by the victims. The second group delivered medical equipment and medicine to the Base Hospital in the heavily affected area of Hambantota and daily necessities to a government agency. Some shelters could be reached only after climbing hundreds of steps. So considerable time and effort were required to deliver the large quantities of relief materials. However, instead of charging extra for an entire day of work, the owner of the truck that was transporting the supplies gave the relief team a discount. This kind act demonstrated that despite suffering one of the greatest catastrophes of the century, those living and working in the affected areas could express selfless love as they helped and supported each other.
Mario Melcher, chairman of the Children's Dreams Foundation, who was stationed at one of the shelters visited by the initiates, was so deeply moved by Master's compassion and love that he wasted no time in writing a letter of appreciation for the aid rendered by Supreme Master Ching Hai. Mr. Melcher was profoundly touched that fellow practitioners of The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association were able to provide relief supplies to remote shelters in such a short time.
After conducting the relief effort described above for tsunami victims along Sri Lanka's southern coast, the practitioners also distributed medical equipment such as ECG machines, nebulizers, diagnostic sets, crutches, bed sheets, pillow cases and raw cloths (mattress covers) to the Ampara and Panama Hospitals located on the eastern coast.
Also, during an interview, Mr. Ratnapala, who aided the initiates greatly in their work, expressed what was in his people's hearts through the following statement:
Luckily, you all came to aid and assist us. With your Master's love, you came and helped us. So that's great. We are forever grateful to you for that. It's not the material help that you gave us; it's the universal love that's all pervading and that comes through your Master. The help comes with God's love and it's wherever you are. It happens inside like a small spark of lightning. That spark is very, very good. And the spark is love; this is the greatest energy.
So we're ever grateful to you and to your Master for the love that came through these donations, which must be the universal love because it has to come from a massive source. So the source is your Master. It's coming from God! That's where the universal cosmic energy has to come from. All material things will come and go. Even our bodies come and go. But one thing that remains is this energy. So it has to come from a source like your Master.
We need all your wishes of luck; we need all those blessings and your well wishes because this country has to rise up, meaning that its people have to come up. And to achieve this coming up, they should also, like you, see a Master. They should see the enlightened way that's shown by your Master. They should see this love. So the people must not only survive this calamity, they must also rise above their inner suffering. Suffering is from the inside. It's not what happens on the outside. So I hope we can also come out of that suffering.
Throughout the relief operation in Sri Lanka, the Formosan aid workers could feel the sincerity, benevolence, loving spirit and mutual support of the local people such as Mr. Ratnapala. And through Master's constant guidance and incredible arrangements, the project proceeded smoothly and efficiently. In addition, the work gave local fellow practitioners a deeper appreciation of the ephemeral nature of material life, and thus their faith in the Quan Yin Path grew stronger. Their families and colleagues were amazed to see the Formosan sisters and brothers arrive in Sri Lanka in such a short period of time to provide relief in accord with Master's teachings about expressing love and compassion to the less fortunate. Many of the Sri Lankan initiates" relatives and friends, as well as local rescue workers, expressed a desire to be initiated into the Quan Yin Method, or at least showed great interest in learning more about Master's teachings. Thus, through the South Asian Tsunami relief effort countless spiritual seeds were sown in Sri Lanka.
On December 26, 2004, the devastating tsunami resulting from a magnitude 9.0 earthquake in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Indonesia wreaked havoc over much of coastal Asia, with one of the hardest hit areas being the south Indian province of Tamil Nadu.
In response to the disaster, a relief team from the Singapore Center arrived in Chennai, India on December 29. After gathering preliminary information on the situation, the team traveled 330 km south to the fishing community of Nagappatinam, which experienced a severe impact from the tidal wave. Most of the houses near the beach were totally destroyed, and the victims took refuge in schools and other public places such as temples, churches and mosques. Cooked food was supplied at these relief shelters by both governmental and private organizations.
While interviewing residents along the road, with the help of the only Tamil-speaking brother on the team, the initiates learned that 150 families living at a remote relief camp 25km away lacked food. And after visiting the camp, the sisters and brothers immediately traveled to a nearby town to purchase bread and cookies, and then distributed the food to the victims late into the night. The next day, the relief team also purchased utensils and more food to distribute to the camp residents, who were very grateful to receive the supplies.
As the areas affected by the tsunami spanned a great distance, the initiates decided to split into two teams, with one going farther south and the other moving toward the north.
On January 1, 2005, the northern relief team visited an affected site 20km north of Karaikkal city. While surveying the site, representatives of a village containing 42 families approached the initiates for help, and so they quickly purchased the needed food items and utensils at night and distributed them the following day. Then over the next few days, they surveyed a number of villages around Karaikkal and then purchased and distributed food, cooking utensils, personal hygiene items, sleeping mats and blankets to the residents of several villages. The recipients accepted the supplies with much joy, appreciation and gratitude to Master and Her assistants.
During the distribution at one of the remote villages around Karaikkal, the relief team met the local district counselor and several government officials, police and army officers who were there to provide law and order and gather statistics on the situation in the area. These individuals welcomed the team's relief efforts and also expressed gratitude for Master's love shown in such a helpful way.
The initiates also distributed writing materials to residents of two villages, where the children were extremely happy and thankful to Master for Her gifts. The relief team also provided aid to Muslim families affected by the disaster in the historic port town of Tranquebar.
Meanwhile the southern relief team traveled approximately 300 km to the Kanniyakumari district in the southern-most part of Tamil Nadu State. There fifteen villages had been affected by the tsunami. In the village of Kadiapattanam, 1800 families lacked adequate food, having only five kilograms of rice per family. After assessing the residents" needs, the relief team supplied each family with 10kg of rice, 5kg of dal (beans), and 1kg of tomatoes and eggplants each.
In another village, Periavilia, the school children needed items such as stationery and material for school uniforms, which the initiates promptly purchased and distributed.
While the victims" basic food needs and water supply were being taken care of by the government and private organizations in most of the villages, the nutritional requirements of the infants and children were being neglected. So the relief team bought milk powder, milk bottles and nutritional beverages to distribute to families that required these items in the villages of Periavilai, Channavilai, Manukari and Colachel.
The parish priest of one of the local churches remarked that The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association was the first group to have delivered these food items to the children. The villagers were happy to receive the relief supplies together with leaflets explaining Master's teachings and were very thankful for Master's love and care.
On the morning of December 26, 2004, the Andaman coastal provinces of southern Thailand—Phuket, Phangnga, Krabi, Trang, Satun and Ranong—were struck by five to ten meter-high tsunamis that left tens of thousands of people dead, injured or missing. Bangkok initiates immediately formed a relief team to assess the scale of the disaster and conduct relief work in the devastated coastal villages of Phangnga Province, where many had lost their homes and families.
On December 28, the initiates traveled over seven hundred kilometers to Khao Lak, Takuapa district. Having brought cooking utensils and food, they were the first team to provide hot meals to the disaster victims and relief workers from other organizations. Each day, the sisters and brothers prepared four or five huge pots of food at the Wat Yan Yao School near the Takuapa District Hall, and delivered the meals in three teams to the local hospital, temple and District Hall. Many volunteers searching for dead bodies were delighted to have hot vegetarian food and felt happy to be spared the meat diet.
The next day, more initiates joined the team to distribute relief supplies including bread, cereal, jam, milk, oatmeal, glutinous rice in bamboo slips, sesame powder, undergarments, cushions, mats, napkins, pillows and tissue paper to the victims, along with words of consolation. Also, surgical gloves and masks to protect against infection were provided to relief organizations searching for bodies in the affected areas while working out of the Yan Yao and Bang Maung Temples. Through Master's infinite love and grace, the initiates found courage and inspiration, often working tirelessly until three or four in the morning and then beginning the next day's work after only a couple of hours" rest.
Then on December 30, a sister-initiate arrived in Wat Yan Yao with five laptop computers, three color laser printers and other computer equipment. And by the following morning, an efficient information center had been set up to help the relatives of the deceased identify their bodies. Digital images of the dead were taken after doctors had recorded the forensic details, and color photos were printed and posted on bulletin boards for identification by those searching for their loved ones. Some of the initiates joined the forensics team, taking pictures of the deceased during examinations, making identification labels, wrapping and burying bodies, and converting the forensic records into the same format to expedite database searching. In addition, on December 31, local initiates held a one-day retreat at the Bangkok Center to pray and meditate for the disaster victims.
Such a large area in Krabi was affected by the tsunamis that many non-initiate volunteers could not take care of their own basic needs because they had to travel far and wide to various communities. And when the initiates served them food, some of these workers who had practiced the spiritual path said they could perceive the Master power. Moreover, Mr. Somsak Kittidhrakul, an assistant to the Mayor of the Krabi Provincial Administrative Organization, expressed special thanks to The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association for its unconditional service to the victims.
Many people had lost practically everything—family and property—in the catastrophe, but they transformed their grief into strength, joining in the volunteer work and rushing to offer assistance wherever it was needed. With compassion and concern, several volunteers drove around the affected areas to offer all possible assistance to the survivors. Relief organizations and volunteers working together showed genuine care and commitment in helping the victims. Thus the disciples witnessed an example of how the world's consciousness has been elevated at the start of the Golden Age and felt growing confidence in Master's immense power.
On January 3, members of the Thai relief team returned to Bangkok and experienced no fatigue or drowsiness because they had felt the love and blessings of Supreme Master Ching Hai all during their efforts. Through the tsunami relief project the Thai brothers and sisters shared Master's boundless love, experienced significant spiritual growth and learned lessons of inestimable value about caring and compassion for their fellow human beings.
The great 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, caused by the fourth strongest earthquake in history, displaced millions of people in South Asia and East Africa, and the number of casualties is still rising. Among the regions affected by the disaster, Aceh Province in Indonesia's northernmost island Sumatra was the area most heavily devastated, being struck by both the earthquake and the tsunami. The number of casualties and loss of life and property were astounding.
In response to the victims" needs, members of The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association from various countries provided a wide array of relief materials and medical supplies, and also traveled deep into the affected areas extending love and care to the victims by personally offering medical aid and conducting other relief activities.
On the afternoon of December 26, 2004, fellow practitioners of The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association in Medan and Jakarta learned from the media that a great tsunami had seriously devastated Aceh Province, situated closest to the earthquake's epicenter. The practitioners promptly launched a relief operation by purchasing relief materials including bottled water, milk, rice, cooked meal packets, medical supplies, new clothing and other items. On the evening of December 27, the Association delivered the supplies to Lokseumawe City. Then on the 28th two fellow practitioners and one of their relatives, together with three local drivers drove a car and truck full of the materials and a large supply of fuel from Lhokseumawe straight to Banda Aceh. Along the road, the workers also distributed relief supplies to victims in need.
By ten o'clock in the evening they reached Banda Aceh, where the electricity had been cut off and there was no moonlight, just pitch darkness. The vehicles" headlights provided the only illumination. The whole place was completely silent, while the unbearably foul smell of dead bodies filled the air. Despite the conditions, the team cruised around the city for several hours and then ran into a man named Dr. Hadi and his family. Dr. Hadi said that the relief team was the first rescue group they had seen since the catastrophe occurred. After helping Dr. Hadi's family escape from the disaster zone, the relief team distributed relief materials to survivors around the area with the help of Dr. Hadi and his friends.
On December 30, five Jakarta initiates with a supply of medicine arrived and joined the first two local practitioners and the group then visited all the shelters in Banda Aceh where victims had gathered, distributing rice, rice noodles, sweets, chocolates, drinking water and other foods. The victims were overjoyed to see the practitioners bringing them relief materials because since the disaster, the initiates provided their first contact with the outside world, along with much needed care and concern. The local soldiers and victims were so touched that they joined in to help with the distribution work. After nightfall, the initiates continued to visit other places where victims had gathered, giving them quilts and warm clothing.
Guided and assisted by the Aceh Red Cross, the relief workers smoothly distributed all the aid materials to the victims. According to team members, they were able to deliver all the items personally into the hands of victims because they had their own vehicles and fuel. Additionally, after observing the local rescue workers operating in putrid, hazardous conditions such as wading in water contaminated by dead bodies, walking on debris that was full of nails, and removing dead bodies with their bare hands, the fellow practitioners immediately notified the Medan Center and purchased a large quantity of urgently needed materials including protective gloves, rain boots, surgical masks and corpse wrapping plastic for the rescue workers. The second lot of relief items, which weighed over ten tons, was delivered from Medan to Banda Aceh in several batches after the 30th.
In addition, another five initiates from the Jakarta Center flew from Medan to Lhokseumawe on January 1, and divided into two groups, one of which went straight to Banda Aceh to help the previous group of Jakarta initiates with the aid effort. Another group targeted the northern coastal area starting from Lhokseumawe. Together they distributed clothing, cookies and medicine to the needy, along with masks and gloves to the soldiers and other workers removing lifeless bodies. As most of the roads were covered with mud and debris, transporting the relief items was challenging. However this did not halt the progress of the relief mission, and when a rescue team of ten practitioners from Formosa arrived to help the Medan and Jakarta initiates, the additional support filled the relief workers with new energy.
Embracing the spirit of "treating others" mishap as our own mishap," the Formosan initiates prepared themselves and went to the affected areas in Indonesia in several groups to provide various forms of aid. The first team of ten initiates arrived in Medan on January 1. Knowing that residents of Banda Aceh had suffered heavy casualties and were in critical need of medical personnel, medical supplies and daily necessities, the sisters and brothers immediately asked Formosa to provide these types of material support. Although there was an alleged report about a plague breaking out in the disaster affected area, the initiates were not daunted and continued to Banda Aceh to convey Master's love and blessings to the victims.
Upon reaching their work station in Banda Aceh, the fellow practitioners posted Master's photograph and played Her Buddha's chanting tape. And amazingly, after putting up the photo, they felt that the place became much cooler, and the pervading foul smell of dead bodies also vanished. It was as if a protective shield were separating the initiates from the outside environment. The relief team then split up into two groups. One treated and dressed the injured victims and the other, guided by the local Red Cross, distributed the relief material and conducted medical surveys to find out what the victims needed most. The distribution team together with the Indonesian initiates went to victims" camps and shelters around Banda Aceh and provided them with materials such as clothing, slippers, cookies, drinking water, rice, instant noodles, toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, green beans, mosquito nets, underwear and feminine hygiene products.
Next a second team of fifteen Formosan practitioners arrived in Medan on January 2. After being briefed on the situation by other relief workers, these volunteers also split into two groups. One went to victims" camps in Medan to help in treating casualties, and the other joined the local team in Lhokseumawe to deliver medical supplies and aid materials to many coastal areas where urgent help was needed, covering a distance of over 140 km from Lhokseumawe to Sigli. The second group also went to the western coastal area of Medan to distribute relief items. Although the situation in that region was unstable and riddled with hidden dangers, through Master's grace and the help of the local Red Cross, the initiates efficiently delivered a large quantity of materials to many camps and shelters.
Later, responding to reports from the affected area, Formosan initiates prepared another batch of urgently needed medical supplies. And fellow initiates with backgrounds in pharmacy even prepared special antibiotics, anti-bacterial bandages to stop bleeding and other materials for treating serious infections. On January 4, with the help of the NGO International Affairs Committee of the Formosa Foreign Ministry, ten practitioners, including doctors and pharmacists, flew to Medan. China Airlines even provided free transport of the medical supplies.
On Jan 5 the physicians and pharmacists, accompanied by a local initiate who had just returned from Banda Aceh, carried the newly arrived medical supplies and some locally purchased tetanus vaccine and 220 kgs of medicine from the Hong Kong Center. With help from the Singapore Air Force, these items were efficiently flown to Meulaboh and delivered to the NGO Rescue Coordination Center and various Red Cross hospitals. Meulaboh was also one of the areas hardest hit by the tsunami so the transportation and communications infrastructure had been severed. Thus, in order to reach the region the team of Indonesian and Formosan initiates traveled in helicopters or small boats.
The devastated town of Meulaboh had lost its charm and beauty, being cast into darkness at night due to lack of electricity. The team stayed overnight in a Red Cross camp where the staff helped and guided the initiates in their work. The team was uncertain about how and when they could return to Medan after the relief work was finished but thankfully, through Master's arrangement, the Singapore Air Force helped the sisters and brothers by flying them back to the city.
Upon their departure at the airport, the Formosan initiates incidentally met Mr. Tony Leonardo, an official of the Investment Department of North Sumatra, who extended his gratitude to the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association and asked the fellow practitioners to convey the Indonesian Government's gratitude to the Formosan Government and the charity groups that had rendered aid to his compatriots.
In conclusion, the relief work in Indonesia was successfully accomplished through the concerted efforts of fellow practitioners from many countries, the local Red Cross and other governmental and non-governmental bodies. And at present, Indonesian initiates are working with the Red Cross to rebuild the affected areas, of which details will be reported in the next issue of the News magazine.
The December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunamis that ravaged South Asia also struck East Africa several thousand kilometers away. Huge tidal waves hit towns and villages along the eastern and northeastern coasts of Somalia, killing at least two hundred people, swallowing hundreds of fishing boats and leaving tens of thousands of victims in need of urgent relief. However, turmoil caused by an ongoing civil war discouraged international charity groups from launching relief operations in Somalia.
However, initiates from the Kenya Center of the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association were not intimidated by the potential hardships and perils they might encounter in the war-torn nation, and so on January 5, 2005 they traveled to Magadishu, Somalia's capital, to offer Master's love and relief to the victims. With the earnest assistance of the mayors of Mogadishu and Marka, the practitioners visited devastated fishing villages, ghettos, hospitals, schools and orphanages, where they distributed monetary aid and daily necessities and consoled victims. Upon receiving Master's loving relief, the people smiled happily and expressed their sincere gratitude.
Although the aid operation was jeopardized by dangerous road conditions and other obstacles, thanks to Master's blessings the sisters and brothers smoothly accomplished their mission. In addition, on January 8 and 9, BBC World and the Mogadishu Radio Station aired news reports on Master's concern for the tsunami victims in Somalia. The BBC correspondent was greatly impressed by the initiates" courage in traveling to Somalia to render relief, saying, "God must be protecting you" during the interview.
The Kenya initiates are deeply grateful to Master for giving them the opportunity to bring material relief and convey Her love and concern to the suffering brothers and sisters of Somalia in their time of need.
Immediately after the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami struck, fellow practitioners from The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association arrived in the affected regions in South Asia and East Africa to render relief and convey Master's love to the victims. For reports on this work, please tune in to our Internet TV program A Journey Through Aesthetic Realms Nos. 124, 125 and 126 on the CTiTV Entertainment Channel.
URL: http://www.Godsdirectcontact.org.tw/eng/hichannel/index.htm (English narration with Chinese subtitles)
| Country | Description | Amount | Appendix |
| India | *Food (rice, vegetables, bread, gravy powder, cooking oil, lentils,
milk, milk powder, nutritional items) *Household Items (bed spreads, plastic pails, sleeping mats) *Personal hygiene materials (bath soap, toothpaste powder, washing soap) *Stationery and fabric for school uniforms * Utensils, tableware and transportation fees |
India Rupees1,462,311.21 US$33,849.80) |
A1~7 |
| Sri Lanka | Medical equipment, water tanks, refrigerators, food, water, bed sheets, bed pads, toys, stationery for students, toiletry items, clothing, slippers, mosquito incense, mosquito nets and transportation fees | Sri Lanka Rupees 6,065,613.41 (US$60,000) |
B1~14 |
| Thailand | *Utensils, food (rice, popcorn, bread, jam, fruit, vegetables, soft
drinks, protein, milk, cereal, spices) *Clothing (underwear, white cloth and clothing) *Sanitary napkins, sandals, medicine and transportation fees |
Thai Baht 237,483.25 (US$6,061.34) |
C1~5 |
| Indonesia | *Food (milk, dal, rice, sugar, cereal, bread, water) *Clothing (T-shirts, pants, underwear) *Tents (mosquito nets, blankets, mats, Muslim prayer mats) * Rescue work materials (masks, boots, gloves) * Medicine, transportation fees and packing charges |
Indonesia Rp 552,632,312.00 NT$181,820.00 (US$65,047.45) |
D1~9 |
| Somalia | *Flour, transportation fees, security fees *Monetary gifts (for the post-disaster reconstruction committee, general hospitals, women's and children's hospitals, orphanages, refugee shelters, fishing villages, funds for students" food) |
US$20,000 | E1~14 |
|
Grand Total | US$184,958.59 |
|
[Staff report] Heart-rending scenes of tearful disaster victims fleeing the heavily devastated province of Aceh into the warm embraces of relatives have become daily sights at Indonesia's Medan Airport.
Since the December 26, 2004 tsunami, many places in Aceh have been cut off from the outside world and relief supplies have yet to reach victims. For volunteers delivering the first batch of relief materials into the area, horrifying scenes resembling those of doomsday remain vivid in their minds.
Mr. Hardi Li, a 43-year-old Chinese native raised in Medan and an insurance worker, is also a member of the Indonesia branch of the spiritual group known as The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association. Mr. Li said that on December 27, a day after the tsunami, the Association delivered around five tons of relief materials, including food, clothing and medical supplies to Lhokseumawe, located between Medan and Aceh. Mr. Li and several volunteer workers immediately rushed to the scene to transport the supplies to the affected areas by truck.
'The severity of the disaster was beyond everyone's imagination," said Mr. Li. Thirty minutes after the relief team had set out on their journey to Aceh, they saw bodies and a few survivors here and there. They immediately alighted, preparing to distribute relief materials, but the victims declined their offer and instead urged them on to Aceh, where the situation was believed to be very severe.
The group arrived in Aceh at ten o'clock that night and it was pitch dark everywhere. Wherever the headlights of their truck shone, they saw bodies—lying on the roads, dangling on rooftops and trees. A search failed to find any signs of survivors. They could only move on. At about three in the morning, the moon shone brightly, its light falling on piles and piles of dead bodies.
After driving on for another half hour, they met five or six survivors. The relief workers" unexpected appearance as they approached the victims to offer their assistance took the local people by surprise. The survivors then took the workers to a small, tattered house, where they found dozens more victims, many of them injured. The relief team quickly sought military assistance, requesting gas and rushing the injured to the airport in military trucks. For Mr. Li Jian, the terrible scenes that he witnessed during his relief trip to Aceh will be forever imprinted in his mind.
Medan Daily News, Indonesia, January 6, 2005 (Originally in Chinese)
Yesterday members of The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association relief team from Formosa distributed food and other provisions to earthquake and tsunami victims at the Sirajul Huda Mosque in Pante Raja Village, Bireuen City, Aceh Province. (Edi Sukarno)
Medan Daily News Indonesia, January 15, 2005 (Originally in Chinese)
[Staff report] An unprecedented catastrophe triggered by an earthquake and tsunami in North Sumatra and Aceh took a hundred thousand lives and displaced millions of people who are now desperately fleeing to survive. The international community immediately expressed concern about the disaster, and relief supplies and food are pouring into the country. Humanitarian workers from nations around the world have quickly joined volunteer teams to conduct rescue and relief efforts in the affected areas, searching for survivors, collecting bodies, burying the dead and clearing rubble so that reconstruction work can soon begin.
Thirty-five volunteers from The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association arrived from Formosa to deliver relief materials, medical supplies, food and clothing to the victims, and set up medical posts to provide treatment in various affected areas of Aceh.
The group's four truckloads of relief supplies valued at five hundred million Rupiahs and transported by Mitsubishi vehicles included medicines, prayer robes, slippers, clothing, cookies, mineral water, rice, instant noodles, toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, green beans, mosquito nets, underwear and women's necessities.
The Association, working in cooperation with the Ganda Pura Branch of the Indonesian Red Cross, delivered the materials directly to victims in six townships Ganda Pura and Kecamatan Counties—Samalanga, Jeunib, Plimbang, Peudada, Jeumpa Kuala and Jangka, as well as seven townships of Pidie County, especially Sigli city. Provisions were also directly delivered to the Simpang Tiga Disaster Relief Center and the Sigli Disaster Relief Center at Jl. Sultan Iskandar Muda No 10. (Karno/H)
The January 4, 2005 edition of the China Daily reported that wild animals seem to have completely escaped the great tsunami of December 2004, which killed tens of thousands of people in Asia and Africa, adding weight to the notion that our fellow creatures possess a "sixth sense" for detecting impending disasters, or at the least, a sense of hearing that far excels that of humans, allowing them to detect the subtle vibrations of earthquakes and other natural events before they strike.
Sri Lankan officials report that the giant waves in which over 40,000 people from their nation lost their lives seemingly missed wild beasts. "No elephants are dead, and not even a dead hare or rabbit has been found. I think animals can sense disaster. They have a sixth sense. They know when things are happening," says H.D. Ratnayake, deputy director of Sri Lanka's Wildlife Department.
The waves washed floodwaters into Yala National Park, Sri Lanka's largest wildlife reserve, but there were no signs of dead elephants, leopards, deer, jackals or crocodiles. This phenomenon adds to historical accounts of seismic waves, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, in which birds take flight, dogs howl and herd animals stampede to safety before catastrophe strikes.
'A lot of anecdotal evidence [exists] about dogs barking or birds migrating before volcanic eruptions or earthquakes. But there have been no specific studies because you can't really test it in a lab or field setting," says Matthew van Lierop of South Africa's Johannesburg Zoo. Clive Walker, author of several books on African fauna concurs: "Wildlife, especially birds, seems able to pick up certain phenomena. There are many reports of birds detecting impending disasters." Animals definitely rely on the known senses such as smell and hearing to avoid predators and other dangers. And the notion of an animal sixth sense is reinforced by the evidence on Sri Lanka's battered coast.
In conclusion, ancient cultures viewed elephants, owls and other creatures as sacred, endowing them with special attributes. So perhaps our ancestors were right and it has taken a disaster like the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami to awaken modern civilization to the marvelous abilities of our animal brethren after centuries of being viewed as "lower forms of life." As Master says, "Animals are so clever. They understand everything. They are not lower than us. They are equal [to us] because they're so intelligent." (Excerpt from DVD #712 The Divine Intelligence of Animals)
In various countries stricken by the 2004 Asian and East African Tsunami, animals demonstrated their innate intelligence and love for humans by rescuing many people who would otherwise have perished in the disaster.
For example, at a beach resort in Phuket, Thailand, an area especially hard hit by the Tsumani, an elephant saved several children on a beach when the tidal wave struck. The animal had been brought to entertain children, but when nature unleashed its wrath, the elephant's keeper hoisted many youngsters up onto its back, and then walked them off to safety. (Please refer to: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1310876/posts )
In another case, an Indonesian woman in tsunami-ravaged Aceh Province saved her own life and those of her neighbor's children as a giant snake guided her through the flood waters. Riza, a clothes seller from the provincial capital of Banda Aceh, said she initially watched helplessly as the tsunami destroyed her home. Then as she was carried out of her house she was dragged toward her badly injured neighbor, who was struggling to hold on to her nine-year-old twins. "Please save my twins. Just let me go, as long as they're safe," Riza recalled the mother saying. Riza then placed the children on her back, and as she fought through the torrent saw a snake the size of a telephone pole gliding with the water current toward a bank. "Strangely I felt no fear," Riza said, adding that she followed the snake to safety. "Thank God, with the power I had left, I managed to go to higher ground." (Please refer to: http://www.command-post.org/nk/2_archives/018357.html )
In an even more dramatic instance from Pondicherry in southeastern India, a family dog saved the life of a seven-year-old boy as the tsunami swept over their village. As the rest of his family scrambled to escape the incoming wave, the boy did not follow but instead ran to the safest place he knew—a concrete hut just 40 yards from shore. With sea water lapping at the family's heels as they rushed up a hill to safety, their scruffy yellow dog Selvakumar ducked into the hut after the boy. Nipping and nudging, the dog urged the child up the hill. "That dog grabbed me by the collar of my shirt and dragged me out," the child said. The boy's mother wept with joy when she saw her son walking toward her with Selvakumar at his side. "That dog is my God," she exclaimed. (Please visit: http://www.cbsnews.com/ stories/2005/01/02/world/main664271.shtml )
Such episodes of animal bravery, love and awareness reinforce the fact that our fellow creatures are full of God's divine energy and capable of great compassion just as we humans are.
The loss and destruction caused by the December 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami has had profound physical and emotional effects on countless human beings. But remarkable stories of selfless behavior and love have also emerged from the disaster.
For example, many people reacted to the tsunami with divinely inspired intelligence, saving not only their own lives but those of many others as well. In one case, on the morning of December 26 a Sri Lankan pastor with an orphanage in his home heard his wife's distressed calls. And after seeing the large wave approaching, he managed to escort 28 children onto his small motor boat in less than 30 seconds. Knowing that the boat's engine seldom started on the first try, the pastor prayed fervently to God, and miraculously, the motor roared to life after just one pull of its rope. The pastor and his assistant then steered the boat through the dangerously large waves, eventually bringing all the children to safety. (Please refer to: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2004/12/30/MNG63AJ2411.DTL )
Another Sri Lankan man was able to warn people of the tsunami even before the waves hit. The man had a lifelong love of reading and loved to learn. In fact, his mother often scolded him because she felt that his reading was a form of laziness. But this so-called bad habit turned out to be lifesaving on the morning of December 26 when he saw an approaching ferry boat bobbing erratically on the water. Although there were no large waves in sight, something about the boat didn't look right, and suddenly he recalled reading that this phenomenon is a sign of an impending tsunami. The man then turned to run, shouting as loudly as possible for people to follow. Afterwards, many expressed their gratitude for his quick action that saved their lives.
Perhaps some of the most miraculous stories about the disaster involve the
longstanding civil conflicts in Sri Lanka and Indonesia, where opposing
factions that had long been at war suddenly put down their arms and united
in the common goal of healing and rebuilding their nations. In Sri Lanka,
the revolutionary group the Tamil Tigers began working side by side with
government officials for the first time in several years. (Please refer
to Sri Lanka "Moment of Peace"
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/04/international/worldspecial4/04lanka.html?oref=login&th
) And in the Aceh region of Indonesia, rebel groups similarly ordered
a cease-fire against the military so that they could work together. (Please
refer to Indonesia cease fire:
http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/
asiapcf/12/31/tsunami.peace/index.html )
Also, organizations already known for their charity work opened their arms further to embrace displaced individuals and families. For instance, Sarvodaya, a Sri Lankan group that sponsored orphaned children before the tsunami decided to extend its mission further: "Sarvodaya has pledged to take in and provide for all children aged 11 and below who have been orphaned by the tsunami. In addition Sarvodaya will care for all women and girls below the age of 19. We have already begun drafting plans to build permanent housing and school facilities." (Please refer to: http://www.sarvodaya.org/)
Moreover, a Malaysian man was rescued unharmed after being separated from
his friends by the tsunami and spending two weeks alone at sea, praying
constantly. As he said, "I prayed and prayed. I told God, ‘I don't
want to die.'"
(Please refer to: http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/asiapcf/01/11/tsunami.survivor.ap/index.html
)
In a refugee camp on an island off the Indian coast, the story of a priest and a blind man helped other survivors find hope. After they were swept away in the tsunami, the blind man followed the priest's voice and both climbed trees to avoid drowning. As the waters began to recede, the priest used wood debris to build small bridges so that survivors could walk to higher ground. He took the hand of the blind man first and led him to safety. The blind man later said that the experience gave him new strength and that he was no longer despairing or feeling helpless about being blind.
And the priest, in response to questions about why God would send such devastation
to humanity, said that he thought God could never be angry with us no
matter what religion we belong to. "This is a test," he added.
(Please refer to: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2005/1/10/latest/20627SomeIndia&sec=latest)
Finally, a journalist in Canada expressed a different but ultimately
positive view by saying that the tsunami was part of a positive trend
in global attitudes and events. For instance, one outcome has been an
outpouring of money from around the world, with people being more inspired
to contribute financially because they view their donations as having
a real purpose rather than simply being used to prop up ailing economies.
Also, recent first-time free elections in countries such as Indonesia,
Afghanistan, the Ukraine and Palestine signify a worldwide rise in democracy.
As a trend that balances differences, this movement is the political
equivalent of a positive tsunami wave: Out of horror hope has arisen.
(Please refer to:
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/
ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1105139414865&call_pageid=
968256290204&col=968350116795 )
It is clear that without Supreme Master Ching Hai's ongoing work and intercession on behalf of all beings, the Indian Ocean Tsunami disaster could have been far worse, and that the souls who have departed now rest in Her infinite care. Seeing the faith inspired in so many people despite the event's tragic nature further affirms the positive direction of humankind Master speaks of: "We can improve it here until everyone else wants to improve themselves. We can keep it going until everyone else awakens enough to get enlightened." (Excerpt from DVD #730 To Communicate by Love)
May the purity of our thoughts and actions support the continued illumination of the world so that all may cross the threshold into the Golden Age.
Report from Togo
On December 17 and 18, 2004, initiates and Convenient Method practitioners from the Lome Center held clean-up and cultural activities at the Children's SOS Village, whose residents include orphans and abandoned and underprivileged children from zero to seventeen years of age.
During the clean-up activity on the morning of December 17, the initiates cleared the environment around the Village of trash and debris with the help of the children and their teachers. The next day, an enjoyable atmosphere enveloped the facility as the youngsters played various games, conducted a music recital and afterwards received personal gifts, generating great happiness among them.
Through Master's blessings, both of the activities were successful as the residents of the Village got the opportunity to learn more about The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association, and also enjoyed vegetarian sandwiches prepared by the Lome initiates.
In addition, the Lome Center donated four computers, a can of cooking oil, two cartons of soap, three bags of rice, garments for the children and various children's games to the Village. The staff was touched by the activities and the much needed items provided by the initiates, especially the computers, and warmly thanked the brothers and sisters for their efforts.
The time spent by the Lome practitioners at the Children's SOS Village allowed a group of youngsters in great need of affection to reap the benefits of Master's unconditional love and warmth. Thus, honor and thanks are due to Her for helping to comfort the children's hearts. Through Her compassion, the little ones were given great joy. Thank You Master.
Report from Costa Rica
On December 21, 2004, fellow practitioners from the Costa Rica Center began working industriously to share Master's love with the poor in the community known as Tibás Zurquí. The activity was planned so that all the families in the district would receive gift bags containing basic food items such as rice, beans, vegetable oil, pasta and cookies—enough to last an average sized family for two weeks.
On the previous day, however, a brother-initiate visited the community and found that a charitable group was having difficulty distributing toys to the local children due to disorganization within the community. So, the initiates prepared to distribute gift coupons to avoid this problem.
Then on December 23, the delivery team divided into four groups to work in different areas of the community. Through a neighborhood representative the group obtained a list of the households in Tibás Zurquí and then visited all the houses and delivered one gift coupon per family entitling each to pick up a gift package. At the same time, on the road to Guapiles near the community, another group of initiates was ready to receive the locals to give them their food packages as a sister dressed as Santa Claus kept the mood cheerful for both children and adults.
The community residents appreciated the gesture of love by The Supreme Master Ching Hai, with some saying, "The Lady in the picture is the one who sent us the presents," and "It's a miracle of God to have such an orderly distribution here today; it's never happened here before."
All the people both young and old radiated happiness during the gift distribution, and because of our beloved Master they had a happier Christmas. Also, on December 30, a retreat was held at the San Jose Center so that the brothers and sisters could project their love and pray for the overall improvement of life in Tibás Zurquí and in our country. Thus, thanks to God's glorious blessings, all the practitioners experienced feelings of peace, solidarity and harmony during the 2004 Christmas holidays.
Report from Ohio, USA
On December 26, 2004, initiates from the Ohio chapter of The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association brought Master's Christmas love to hundreds of homeless people at the Drop Inn Center in Cincinnati. This year the needs of the local underprivileged population were greater than ever as the area experienced record cold temperatures during the holidays.
The shelter manager only asked the initiates to prepare 200 gift packs for the facility's homeless residents. However, in the past many more of the less fortunate came to the facility on the days when the Ohio initiates served lunch. So this time the sisters and brothers brought a total of 350 Christmas gift packages containing warm sweatshirts, cookies and sweets. Besides these gifts, the work team prepared 400 spring rolls and 20 large trays of fried rice, as well as fresh fruit, salad and drinks.
The Ohio Center initiates have become a familiar presence at the Drop Inn shelter, and are always greeted warmly by the residents and staff. Moreover, on each visit people standing outside the shelter rush to offer their assistance in carrying food and gifts inside as soon as the initiates arrive. So it was no surprise that soon after the sisters and brothers came to the facility on the 26th, the building began filling up quickly with the homeless and other poor residents of the surrounding neighborhood.
The next two hours went by in a blur as the work team continuously served food and distributed gifts. As the day progressed, everyone felt Master's blessings in the calm atmosphere, which was remarkable considering the crowded hall and long lines of people waiting to be served meals. During the visit everyone remained patient, with many people expressing interest in the picture of Master that was standing at the end of the gift table. And afterwards one of the shelter's staff members said, "This is the first time so many people have come to the shelter to receive food and gifts!'
Everyone at the Drop Inn Center expressed their deep appreciation for the Supreme Master's divine love. Seeing their less fortunate brothers and sisters so happy to receive the food and Christmas gifts, the Ohio Center initiates thank Master for Her great arrangement in helping them again learn about serving, sharing and love.
Report from California, USA
On the crisp Sunday afternoon of December 19, 2004, a group of initiates from the San Jose Center set out for St. James Park, in the center of the city, to visit and share Christmas presents with God's homeless children.
Although the San Jose Center has been conducting its annual winter gift-sharing activity at the Park for many years, a city ordinance now forbids public distribution of goods to the homeless without prior government approval. A police officer at the Park informed the initiates of the new rule, and advised them to go to a nearby church instead. One of the homeless men at the Park overheard this discussion and hurried to the church before the rest of the group, where he explained the situation to the pastor, whom he knew personally. When the initiates arrived, the pastor asked them about The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association and their intentions, and then enthusiastically granted his permission to distribute the gifts in the church parking lot. The pastor was supportive and pleasant, and personally came out to help organize the event so that it would proceed in an orderly fashion.
The sisters and brothers distributed almost 100 large sleeping bags, as well as bright, colorful gift bags containing thick socks, sandwiches and cookies. Upon receiving his gifts, one gentleman said, "I didn't believe in God before, but now I do!" Seeing the joyful expressions on the faces of this man and the other homeless brothers and sisters, the initiates too felt happiness in their hearts, realizing firsthand what Master has long taught—that we are all intimately related, that helping others is truly helping ourselves, that others" happiness is indeed our own, and that we are all one.
The San Jose Quan Yin family is grateful for the opportunity to have shared Master's love and light with others during the 2004 Christmas season, and feels deeply blessed to have the greatest and most glorious gift of all, the divine presence of a living Master in our world. Thank You, Master.
Report from San Francisco, CA., USA
On December 18, 2004, San Francisco initiates distributed much needed supplies, including sleeping bags, warm jackets, hats, socks, soft drinks and boxes of hot chow mein, to the homeless throughout the city. Each gift bag also contained fortune cookies containing Master's pearls of wisdom and a sample booklet so that the homeless could benefit both spiritually and materially.
The recipients" surprised looks and heartfelt gratitude inspired the practitioners in their efforts as they realized that the relief was penetrating deep into the hearts of their homeless brothers and sisters. As the initiates distributed the supplies, the homeless made comments such as "Now I believe in God!" or "I now believe in Santa Claus!" On several occasions, the practitioners witnessed heartbreaking scenes of destitute people lying on the ground with only their clothes and a thin sheet to protect them from the harsh elements. In the hope that these people could someday be given a home, the brothers and sisters at least provided them with a modicum of comfort through the relief items. Although it was unfortunate to see so many of the less fortunate living on the city streets, the number of homeless seemed to have decreased over previous years.
After working late into the night, the fellow practitioners managed to distribute virtually all the supplies they had on hand. Though the work was difficult and tiring, Master's blessing was ever present, and so the initiates worked with joy and happiness as laughter often filled the truck they used to transport the goods. Thank You, Master, for another wonderful experience of Your love in action!
Every Christmas season Houston Center initiates team up with the Bread of Life Church Foundation to bring holiday cheer to the less fortunate. On December 23, 2004 the initiates continued this tradition by distributing donuts, coffee, blankets, socks and towels and also presenting Master's video Walk the Way of Love at the Foundation's homeless shelter. Many of the needy people who watched the video and listened to Master's loving words were visibly touched, as were the initiates. After their visit to the shelter the sisters and brothers took to the streets and handed out additional items to people living under highway underpasses.
Then, on December 30 the practitioners returned to the shelter and distributed more aid consisting of blankets, socks, crackers and towels. Along with supporting the needy in their hometown, the brothers and sisters raised US$12,000 for the Indian Ocean Tsunami victims and on January 7 sent the funds to Indonesia.
The Houston initiates thank Master for Her love and guidance, which they felt all during the 2004 aid distribution project for the homeless, and also wish to say that every kind thing we do for the less fortunate, which we could not accomplish without You, comes from our inner love. In addition, we promise to continue praying for world harmony, for Your good health and for purity in our thoughts, speech and actions!
Report from Florida, USA
Florida initiates celebrated Christmas, Golden Year 1 by spreading Master's love to those in need. On the night of December 18 before group meditation at the Florida Center, a local brother spoke on the phone with a Costa Rican initiate, who enthusiastically described the Costa Rica Center's Christmas relief project. The initiate’s enthusiasm was like a contagious burst of energy for the Florida sisters and brothers, who became charged with a desire to conduct their own relief work by supplying essential items to homeless people in their area. Thus, local vendors were contacted and within a few hours all the relief supplies were purchased. In addition, the initiates had glorious Christmas cards printed featuring a picture of Master, and these were included in each gift-care package. All these arrangements were made in one night, just in time to take everything to the Florida Center before group meditation.
The following day, after group meditation, the initiates prepared the care packages, which contained toiletries, socks, Christmas cards and Master's sample booklets and everything was ready to deliver on Christmas day. However, the weather changed suddenly that day and it became extremely cold so blankets were also quickly purchased for the recipients. And through Master's blessing, the initiates found a wholesaler who sold blankets at only 25% of their normal market price. The brothers and sisters thus managed to obtain the blankets just in time for Christmas.
In addition to its homeless gift distribution project, the Florida Center
held a traditional gift exchange and then a one-day retreat to pray for
the victims of the Indian Ocean Tsunami. Throughout all these activities
the Florida initiates experienced the joy of giving—creating a true
Christmas in every sense of the word. Everyone was saturated with Master's
omnipresent love. Thank You, Master!
Report from Quebec, Canada
In commemoration of the first Christmas season of Earth's Golden Age, initiates from the Montreal Center organized a visit to their city's Old Brewery Mission for the homeless. For over 108 years the Mission has served as a safe shelter and kitchen for destitute men and women of Montreal's downtown and surrounding neighborhoods. Thus, over the years, the facility's main objective has been to provide care for Montreal's needy, and on December 19, 2004 local initiates brought several boxes of canned soup, instant noodles and clothing to help in this effort.
On a previous occasion, the initiates also donated money to benefit flood victims in Gonaives, Haiti through OXFAM Quebec, Canada.
In addition, knowing that during the current transitional period at the start of the Golden Age, parts of our planet are being afflicted with severe natural disasters, the Montreal Center organized a daily group meditation session from Christmas 2004 through the 2005 New Year's holiday, followed by a retreat to pray that peace and God's love be bestowed on all of Earth's sentient beings.
Report from Bangkok, Thailand
As wintry weather approached in November 2004, Bangkok initiates received news of the appalling conditions at the Klongphai General Jail and its special treatment facility in the Siku district, Nakorn Ratchasima Province. The sisters and brothers thus wrote to the heads of both facilities requesting permission to visit, provide vegetarian meals, arrange a video lecture, introduce meditation and distribute warm clothing and other daily necessities to the aging inmates.
After receiving approval from the officials, on November 28 the fellow initiates visited the Klongphai special treatment facility to provide aid and comfort to about a hundred elderly female prisoners, most of whom had no relatives. The activity began with a greeting and a recital of Master's aphorisms. Then packages of practical items were distributed, including warm clothing, socks, toothbrushes, toothpaste, instant cereal, greeting cards containing Master's aphorisms and flyers introducing Master and the Quan Yin Method. Next the inmates were shown a video introducing Supreme Master Ching Hai followed by the video lecture The Real Meaning of Freedom. Afterwards one of the inmates observed that she felt as if Master had been talking to her and pointing directly to her heart during the video presentation. The initiates also distributed Master's books and lecture DVDs and presented sample booklets in various languages to the prison library.
Prison regulations, however, required prior approval to teach the Convenient Method to interested inmates. So the initiates accepted the officials" suggestion to seek permission and schedule a CM instruction session on another day. The activity ended with a hearty vegetarian lunch that was lovingly prepared by the sisters and brothers and highly praised by the inmates.
Subsequently, on December 2, Bangkok initiates delivered 171 packages of warm clothing and other essential items to the Klongphai General Jail, although they were unable to give them to the male inmates directly due to a week-long prison activity encouraging relatives to spend time with inmates. Master's books and DVDs also were presented to the prison library.
The fellow practitioners of Bangkok thank Master for Her blessings and for giving them the opportunity to develop unconditional love by providing material aid, moral support and encouragement to inmates at the Klongphai General Jail and its special treatment facility.
As northerly winds blew over Hong Kong one evening in late December 2004, local fellow initiates promptly prepared dozens of packages containing clothing, sandwiches and sample booklets and set off for the areas around the Yen-chow Street overpass and Yung-shu-tau Park, hoping to bring warmth to their homeless friends in these old districts.
Joined by several initiates from China, the work team first arrived at the Yen-chow Street overpass, where a group of Aulacese friends were huddling together to keep warm in the cold night air. The homeless gratefully received the lovingly prepared packages and informed the disciples of the whereabouts of other street people in the area. One of them recognized Master from the cover photo on the sample booklet, and when he learned that this Master he had seen in Formosa was also from Au Lac, he happily shared the news with his friends, saying, "This Master has many disciples." The initiates then went to Yung-shu-tau Park and also visited several tunnels under overpasses, where they distributed warm clothing and offered Master's love to more homeless friends.
The next two days saw a sharp drop in temperature in Hong Kong, and the fellow initiates again set out for the Yen-chow Street overpass to distribute thick cotton-padded coats and scarves to more street people. After listening to a brief introduction to Master's teachings, one of them said, "She speaks about the Truth—the method to attain the Tao!'
As the infinite light of Master's compassion shone on the street people, it also brought a glow to the faces of the fellow initiates. The hardships of the homeless taught the practitioners to better appreciate their own happiness, feel more grateful than ever for Master's blessings, cherish what they have and practice more diligently.
Report from Indonesia
On November 26, 2004, a powerful earthquake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale struck Nabire, Papua Province, Indonesia, while a series of aftershocks continued for several days gripping the area's inhabitants with fear. The earthquake destroyed many residents" homes, along with public facilities such as the seaport, airport, electrical utilities, roads, hospitals and several government offices. In addition, many water wells in remote areas were rendered useless after being filled with mud. Most Nabirens were traumatized by the disaster, especially non-indigenous people. The indigenous inhabitants, however, seemed to be mentally stronger and perceived the disaster as God's will.
Fortunately, a relief team of initiates from Indonesia was able to go to the affected areas and distribute relief provisions thanks to a contribution by Garuda Indonesia Airways. The supplies consisted of tents, blankets, mosquito nets, food, medicine and clothing, which were distributed to city dwellers such as orphans, school children, hospital patients, prisoners, police officers and families, and also to people living in the neighboring transient communities of Kimi and Lagare.
The initiates worked in cooperation with the Red Cross, government officials and local volunteers, and the victims were grateful to God for the much needed supplies, with many showing a deep interest in Master's message. Adults and children in the remote areas enthusiastically embraced the teachings, smiling with tears of joy, clapping their hands as their thirst for true love was quenched, and hoping to learn more about Master and the Quan Yin Method and be blessed as Her wisdom blossoms in Nabire.
By the end of the relief mission in Nabire, the initiates had supplied the victims with 500 canvas sheets and 1000 blankets, along with numerous items of used clothing, medicine and biscuits.
Moreover, on December 2 Blitar, East Java was devastated by a flood. And a local initiate contacted emergency camps and discovered the facilities had enough food but lacked spices and fuel to operate stoves. Thus, initiates from the Surabaya Center and Malang (an hour's drive from Surabaya) traveled to Blitar, about four hours from Surabaya. All the goods had been sent to Malang a day earlier to reduce travel time as the roads to Blitar were muddy and hazardous.
The initiates then worked with the local Red Cross coordinator and sub-district officials to distribute to the emergency camps in Tirtorejo, the worst hit village, the much needed gifts of 400 liters of stove fuel, ten cartons of cooking oil, ten large bags of salt, 48 bottles of sweet soy sauce, 72 packages of instant fried rice spices, two large bags of coffee and two large containers of crackers.
May Master's love and prayers be with the Nabirens and the people of Blitar. Thank You, Master, for Your true love from the people in Nabire and Blitar.
Report from the Philippines
On December 2, 2004, Typhoon Nanmadol swept over the eastern part of Luzon Island in the Philippines, following the destructive trail of four previous typhoons that had occurred within a two-week span. The storm produced heavy casualties and tens of thousands of people were displaced. The international community responded with messages of condolence and various forms of aid, but the relief effort ran into difficulties in remote areas where access was cut off.
Upon receiving news of the disaster, Aulacese fellow practitioners living in the Philippines immediately launched a relief operation. On December 7, they made a nine-hour drive with supplies to Dingalan Village in Aurora Province to the northeast of Manila. Upon their arrival, the brothers and sisters discovered that there was much to be done despite relief efforts from other agencies.
The following day, several disciples from Hong Kong and Taipei, Formosa arrived in Manila to join in the relief work. That night the team purchased and packed the supplies before proceeding on a rough and rigorous journey to the affected area on roads that had been repaired in a makeshift manner. Then early on the morning of December 9, the initiates arrived at the Dingalan Secondary School with relief materials that had not yet been provided by other groups, including mosquito nets, slippers, clothing, light blankets, powdered milk for infants and instant noodles.
The distribution went smoothly, with the mosquito nets proving to be the most urgently needed items and the clothes bringing joy to local children. The relief team later visited the devastated Paltic Village, where the landscape had changed completely as a result of several typhoons and most residents had been displaced. With help from the village chief, more than a thousand allotments of relief provisions were distributed at Paltic.
Quezon Province received greater international concern than did the previously mentioned regions. In this area, collapsed bridges had cut off access to Infenda and Real Townships and floods reached as high as two meters in low lying parts of Infenda. The local people thus relied on food supplies airlifted during the day by U.S. army helicopters. As soon as the roads were repaired, the practitioners found themselves in the second vehicle to enter the affected area. They worked through the night packing rice and food in an effort to speed up delivery of the materials to the victims.
Tourism in Infenda and Real had brought prosperity to the local people, who suffered only minor inconveniences in their daily lives and were already receiving help from the U.S. Army. So, the relief team decided to deliver the remaining provisions to Paltic Village, penetrating deep into the affected area, personally delivering the materials to each household, and thus producing feelings of gratitude among the villagers.
In just two weeks, the initiates managed to distribute seven thousand shares of relief materials. They worked round the clock without rest or sleep, sometimes skipping meals the whole day, yet they were not overcome by hunger or exhaustion. The sisters and brothers who worked on the Typhoon Nanmadol relief project are deeply grateful to Master for Her blessings and for allowing them to bask constantly in Her infinite love.
Taipei
In the weeks before Lunar New Year 2005, Taipei initiates were inspired by Supreme Master Ching Hai's universal, loving spirit to convey warmth and care to the less fortunate in the cold of winter by conducting a series of relief activities. Approximately three hundred members of the Taipei Center were mobilized for the project. The volunteers began by visiting the Taipei City Social Affairs Bureau to obtain information on popular gathering sites of the homeless and the items they needed most. To spread the news to the street people, the brothers and sisters then held up notice boards at these sites announcing the schedule and venues of the activities.
In late December 2004, a cold front hit Taipei, and the initiates were informed by the Wanhua District Welfare Center that the local homeless population was in great need of warm clothing. So on December 28, the practitioners promptly delivered fifteen cartons of thick, warm jackets to ease their immediate distress. Then, after a second supply of winter jackets along with kung-fu shoes, shower gel, shampoo and shavers was arranged in groups and categorized based on street surveys done by the Social Affairs Bureau, the initiates, aided by Bureau staff members, distributed the items to halfway houses and homeless shelters. The kung-fu shoes symbolized the first step in finding a job, and were aimed at encouraging the homeless to begin their lives anew. The initiates also prepared five hundred New Year's gift bags for distribution, each containing a warm wool hat, gloves, socks, toothpaste, a toothbrush, a towel, candy, cookies, bread, a sandwich, a hot drink and last but not least spiritual food—copies of Master's News magazine.
Then on the morning of January 6, 2005, the volunteers delivered sixty cartons of winter clothing donated by fellow initiates to the Jhonghe Shelter for the Homeless. And in the afternoon, they presented the New Year's gift bags to the Wanhua District Welfare Center, where Mr.Yang Liou-chi, chief of the social work section of the city's Social Affairs Bureau and Mr. Lin, a senior homeless representative, received the items on behalf of the homeless. In his speech, Section Chief Yang thanked The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association for the care and concern its members have shown to Taipei's street population over the years, and for its continued efforts in providing material and spiritual aid.
That evening, guided by several loving, patient social workers from the Taipei Social Affairs Bureau, the fellow practitioners visited several districts frequented by homeless people and presented them with gift bags. Upon receiving Master's gifts of love, the beneficiaries expressed their deep gratitude as their faces glowed with happiness. The sisters and brothers were accompanied on these visits by a group of academics who study the homeless population—Professor Yang of National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Professor Pan of National Taiwan Normal University and several of their graduate students. The professors and students were speechless while watching the Taipei practitioners diligently distribute gift bags oblivious to the chilly wind and potential danger in the neighbourhoods they visited, and later said repeatedly, "This has been hard work for you."
Next, on the morning of January 14, the initiates again delivered approximately a hundred gift bags to the Jhonghe Shelter for the Homeless, where Director Chen Xue-cheng and a resident representative, Mr. Zhang, received the items. Director Chen was deeply grateful to The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association for rendering aid just as the cold front was moving in. Representative Zhang, being even more earnest in expressing his thanks, said, "The practical items and soul-elevating sample booklets and News magazines you've provided are just what the homeless need most." That evening, another group of fellow practitioners went to The Peace Abode, a halfway house for the underprivileged in Taipei, where they were warmly welcomed by the residents.
Not long after, the Taipei Center learned from the Social Affairs Bureau that while local needy households received much help from social welfare groups, some senior citizens living alone were paid little attention. So on the morning of January 21, the initiates prepared a supply of heating packs, thermos bottles, rice, nutritional supplements and copies of Master's News magazine. Then, accompanied by several social workers and an earnest senior citizen, they visited over a dozen seniors in the Wanhua District to offer them material and spiritual support.
The last facility the initiates visited during the winter 2004-05 Taipei aid project was the Taipei County Ai-Wei Center on Huafu Hill, Bali Township. The brothers and sisters had previously visited the Center in September 2004, when they learned that the staff had set up a computer-learning room in which residents gained new knowledge and exercised their often deformed and withered fingers. So, in compliance with the Center's needs, during this visit the initiates contributed six sets of computer and ten cartons of adult diapers.Through these activities, the warm flow of God's love shone through to Taipei's underprivileged on the city's coldest winter days. And hopefully, the winter 2004-05 Taipei aid project brought a measure of happiness into the lives of the street people, disabled and senior citizens living alone, and will encourage these less fortunate brothers and sisters, who are often forgotten by society, to seek new lives as they derive hope and power from Master's words of wisdom.
Hsinchu
On January 6, 2005, fellow practitioners from Hsinchu, Formosa visited the Yu-An Children Care Center in Miaoli County, the Catholic Hua-kuang Social Welfare Foundation in Hsinchu County, the St. Joseph's Center for Special Education in Hsinchu City, and Miracle Home which offers counseling and a stable environment for school dropouts, children from broken families and juvenile delinquents. The initiates gave gifts of love and conveyed Master's care to the young residents of these facilities, and at the Yu-An Children's Care Center the director personally accepted the daily necessities brought by the practitioners and presented them with a flag to show the Center's appreciation for Master's charitable acts.
These centers and halfway houses are concrete expressions of God's love by social philanthropists. The children and young people in all of the facilities are well provided for and given vocational training so that they can contribute to society in the future. Hopefully, as the Golden Age unfolds, humankind will continue to demonstrate such universal love and fill every corner of the earth with warm compassion.
Tainan
In the depths of winter 2004-05, the Tainan Center of The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association conducted a series of activities to provide relief to needy households and other underprivleged people in their community. On December 26 and 29, 2004, and January 14, 25 and 29, 2005 local initiates visited the BaiHe Veterans Home, the Jhupu Elderly Care Center in Yanshuei, the Taizih Temple Elderly Center, the Hsin Te Chu Hua Cripple School and the Elderly Home of Sinying Hospital in Tainan County.
During these activities, a videotaped introduction to Master was presented followed by brilliant entertainment programs, among which the recital of Master's Wu Tzu Poems received a resounding response. Several senior citizens asked that the sister-initiates who recited the verses continue the recitation and teach them how to recite poetry. The elderly praised Supreme Master Ching Hai as a great enlightened teacher who fully understands the suffering of sentient beings, adding that Her short poems accurately portray the ephemeral nature of earthly life. Moreover, Director Tang Yue-mei of the Taizih Temple Elderly Center was touched by Master's compassion and expressed her gratitude with tear-filled eyes. And the staff of the Jhupu Elderly Care Center showed an interest in learning more about Master's teachings so that they could be more efficient in serving the senior citizens at their facility.
Pingtung
On January 23, 2005, initiates from The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association again extended aid to destitute elderly residents of Sinjhih Village, Wanluan Township, Pingtung County and wished them a happy New Year. That day, the village chief joined the initiates in distributing blankets to the villagers and expressed gratitude to the Association for its ongoing concern for the needy elderly of his community. The seniors received the blankets with great joy and contentment reflected in their faces.
The arrival of Golden Year Two marks the opening of a new chapter in human history. Hopefully, in coming years human beings will continue to receive God's blessings and live lives of satisfaction in body, mind and spirit.
2004 Global Disaster Relief Activities by Supreme Master Ching Hai and Her International Association from January to December
| Beneficiary Countries |
Date (Month) |
Activities | Amount in local currency | Amount in US$ | News magazine # |
| Costa Rica | Feb., April, May, Dec. | Distributing daily necessaries, building roads and repairing bridges to improve living conditions at the Tibas-Zurqui's Dump community | Colon 1,731,136.55 | US$ 3,877.60 | 150, 152, 156 |
| Thailand | April | Relief for fire victims of the Suan Plu Pattana community | Baht 27,198.25 | US$ 695.79 | 151 |
| Jamaica | Sept. | Relief for hurricane and flood victims | US$ 10,027.00 | US$ 10,027.00 | 154 |
| Dominican Republic | Sept. | Relief for hurricane and flood victims | US$ 28,679.00 | US$ 28,679.00 | 154 |
| Grenada | Sept. | Relief for hurricane and flood victims | US$ 10,000.00 | US$ 10,000.00 | 154 |
| Haiti | Sept. | Relief for hurricane and flood victims | US$ 40,000.00 | US$ 40,000.00 | 154 |
| Sudan | Sept. | Financial contribution for civil war victims | US$ 40,000.00 | US$ 40,000.00 | 154 |
| China | Sept. | Relief for flood victims in northwestern Sichuan Province | RMB 167,819.30 | US$ 20,374.33 | 154 |
| Japan | Oct. | Relief for hurricane and earthquake victims | Yen 1,920.194.00 | US$ 18,483.98 | 155 |
| USA | Sept.-Oct. | Relief for Florida hurricane and flood victims | US$ 14,646.37 | US$ 14,646.37 | 154 |
| Panama | Sept.-Oct. | Relief for flood victims | US$ 7,900.00 | US$ 7,900.00 | 154 |
| Russia | Sept.-Oct. | Relief for victims of school hostage crisis in North Ossetia | Rubles 996,000.00 | US$ 34,110.00 | 154 |
| India | Sept.-Oct. | Relief for flood victims in northern India | Rupees 1,350,001.00 | US$ 30,000.00 | 154 |
| Indonesia | Nov. | Relief for earthquake and flood victims in Nabire and Blitar | Rupiah 111,849,506.00 | US$ 12,157.56 | 156 |
| Philippines | Dec. | Relief for victims of Typhoon Nanmadol | Peso 1,713,020.00 | US$ 30,589.64 | 156 |
| Formosa | Jan.-Dec. | Regular monthly contribution to needy households around Formosa | NT$ 769,000.00 | US$ 23,303.03 | 151, 153, 155, 156 |
| Jan.-Dec. | Charitable and public welfare activities | NT$ 1,152,258.00 | US$ 34,916.91 | 151, 153, 154, 155, 156 | |
| July-Dec. | Relief for victims of Typhoons Mindulle, Aere and Nanmadol | NT$ 544,820.00 | US$ 16,509.70 | 153, 154, 155, 156 | |
| Grand Total US$376,270.91 | |||||
December 2004
To: The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association
In the cold of winter we are delighted to learn that your esteemed Association
is developing prosperously.
During the severe earthquake that hit Mid Niigata on October 23, 2004, twelve
people were killed in Ojiya and all the residents suffered great losses. We are
deeply grateful to your esteemed Association for its warm assistance in the form
of spiritual support and material aid at the time of the disaster.
For citizens who were compelled to live like refugees, the relief provided by
your Association was like an oasis in the desert that gave unparalleled
encouragement to the mentally and physically exhausted victims.
Two months have elapsed since the earthquake, and local residents who have
respectively moved into temporary abodes are working hard to resume their normal
lives so that our city can rise again and embark on the path to recovery.
Here we wish to convey our deepest gratitude to your esteemed Association for
its kindness. We also wish you peace, health and prosperity!
Yours faithfully, Seki Hirokazu
Mayor of Ojiya, Niigata Prefecture
2-7-5 Jonai, Ojiya-City, Niigata Prefecture
If the Master wants to do it, it'll be done, not the way we think of in this world but in the spirit. It's in the invisible way that the Master takes care of people. That's why the Indian people respect the guru, the Master very much. They just love to see, to get just one glimpse of the Master.
I know of one Indian Master Who passed away in the 1940s and Who traveled by train when He was alive. And one day a man was just on the right side of his train in the fields doing farming. And the Master just looked out the window of his train car at that moment. And the man happened to look up at the same time just like that, for one second and then the train passed by. And three days later the man died, and he saw the Master appear to him and take him up before he died. And he told everyone around, "I saw Master such and such appear. He has come now and He said he's going to take me up."
And it happened that one of the Master's disciples was beside the man and when he heard the description he said, "Is He the one in this photo?" And the man said, "Yes." Just one look and he got liberated.
In the Buddhist tradition, we also have many such stories. For example, when he was alive the Earth Store Bodhisattva promised that anyone who even heard his name he would take care of. So, the ways of Bodhisattvas or Saints are limitless. It's impossible for us to judge or understand or even realize them.
