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 October 25, Supreme Master Ching Hai Day, is a big day when people from all parts of the world joyously celebrate Master having received what is arguably the highest international honour. It happened to be the third anniversary this year, and beseeched by fellow practitioners worldwide, Master kindly promised to let them come to Hsihu Center to spend the special day with Her. After the Ching Hai Day Celebration, Master and disciples began a seven-day retreat together, to pray for world peace.
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It was a fine autumn day with a clear blue sky on Ching Hai Day. Fellow practitioners from over thirty nations had happily arrived at the front doors of their Hsihu home. Prominent politicians and VIP's from many nations also continued to arrive for the great occasion, while some sent congratulatory messages by fax. The President and Mrs. Clinton of the U.S.A. personally sent Master their congratulations and greetings. Besides sending their congratulatory messages, the Governors of the six Mid-western states of the U.S.A. honored Master with a plaque, to commemorate Her. The U.S. Senate Leader Mr. Bob Dole and the Chairman of the Diplomatic Committee Mr. Jesse Helms also jointly honored Master with a plaque as congratulations. Mr. Fasi, former Mayor of Honolulu, and Mr. Jeremy Harris, the Mayor of Honolulu, jointly invited Master to Hawaii in 1996 to celebrate the Fourth Anniversary of Ching Hai Day. Legislators in Formosa, Mr. Cheng-Chieh Lin, Ms. Feng-Chih Chu, Mr. Pi-Hsien Li, as well as representatives from other fields, also either came in person or sent congratulatory messages.
Among the important guests who came from faraway parts of the world were Mr. Xiang-Xing Mo, Chairman of the Republican Party in the Western States of America; Mr. Zhen-Xi Chang, Chairman of the Board of the Paraguay Cultural Center; Ms. Xian-Nu Xu Jin, professor at the Royal Dance Academy in Spain; Mr. Chi-Kun Liao, the Chief Editor for the China Times in the U.S.A.; Mr. Hong-Kwang Chen, the Secretary General of The World Cultural Communication Association, USA; Mr. Da-Min Chen Zhong, news columnist for The Washington Post, USA; Mr. Priyo Suwarno, journalist for the Surabaya Newspaper of Indonesia. The media in Formosa, such as Radio China, Radio Tien Sheng, Taipei Radio Station, The Zong Hwa Daily News, The Commercial Times, The Liberty Times, The Economic Daily News and The People's Daily, also sent their congratulations or representatives to attend the occasion.
This unprecedented carnival united various races and cultures, and surpassed time and space. The thousands who attended all dressed up in traditional classical costumes of different nations or resplendent Western royal attire. Suddenly, kings, ministers and knights of past and present and from all over the world; officials and soldiers from heaven; and ladies and gentlemen, all happily gathered in one place.
There was a steady stream of heroes and beauties chatting on the tree-shaded stone paths throughout the beautifully natural Hsihu Center. One kept hearing the wide-eyed guests asking candidly, "What nationality is he? Where does she come from?" The cultures of East and West interacted and blended together, bringing to fruit the ideal of the world being one family. The peaceful scene at the Ching Hai Buddha Kingdom symbolizes that a peaceful, golden era, that is free of wars, has already arrived.
Eagerly awaited by everyone, Master, in a pure white Au Lac formal gown, gracefully appeared and went around the venue, escorted by the guards who dressed up as British royal guards. In Master's elegance there was a boundless unifying power, which touched all who were present. With thunderous applause that could surely be heard in heaven, the crowd expressed their infinite gratitude and affection, like that which children would have for their mother.
Special guests representing the First and Second Prime Ministers of Cambodia presented Master the National Construction Award, and offered their deepest gratitude to Her, for Her love and concern for the people of Cambodia.
Immediately after the brief but solemn ceremony, the wonderful entertainment program began. The heartwarming sound of drums of a Korean Drum Dance was the curtain-raiser. The Thai dance and the English contralto singer were of professional standard. The Candle Dance by Au Lac fellow initiates from the U.S.A., who shone brilliantly at the World Dance Festival in Los Angeles, was surely out of this world. They won thunderous applause and were cheered and encored. A Chinese comic dialogue by initiates from Formosa humorously described Master's unique skills and talents. The disciples of "Master Tang" performed by initiates from Hong Kong, made the audience bend over with laughter, with the "perfect" Mandarin they spoke.
The long awaited "special program" began soon after Master mysteriously left Her seat in the middle of the show. From the exquisite scene on stage -- and the lifelike coconut trees and sail boats, one could perceive the rich and peaceful Au Lac scene in the old days, with the rivers dotted with sail boats. The stage lighting appeared even more brilliant as the sky became dark. Everyone was holding their breath, waiting for the last and the best show. Then the music for "The Union Of The Rivers," a beautiful melody composed by Mr. Pham Binh Chuong, the Beethoven of Au Lac, began.
Amidst the powerful tune, the male dancers displayed a high, exuberant and gallant spirit. Then masculinity was supplanted by the bright and clear voices of female singers. At that time, the audience close to the stage suddenly cheered in surprise. It turned out that Master had appeared on stage! She was the leading lady in the play. Her face half covered and with Her colourful clothes fluttering in the wind, She gracefully and slowly stepped onto the stage. The audience could not help roaring with cheers.
In time with the music, Master danced slowly and quickly. She was both innocent and immensely attractive. Both adults and children clapped to the beat of the music. Those on and below the stage had become one. "The Union Of The Rivers" has beautiful lyrics and a divine melody. Furthermore it has a profound meaning. At the time we all gathered under Supreme Ching Hai's umbrella of love. In the future we will definitely meet again above, in the paradise of the Kingdom of God.
The play had three scenes, and Master changed Her character three times; from that of a ravishing European lady, to a noble Egyptian queen, and then to the Au Lac beauty of all time. Once again, Master displayed Her rare and extraordinary talents; She wrote and directed the play in a very short time, and coordinated the music with the set to spontaneously exhibit an impression of grandeur. She also designed all the costumes for three different time periods and cultures, which all the more stressed the uniqueness of the play. The delighted and surprised audience gazed at the Super-Master of the universe dancing as if they were looking at a scene from the Kingdom of God or the Buddha Land with their very own eyes.
It was time for the final curtain, and boundless joy emerged in everyone's heart. A continuous string of encores and sincere wishes made Master, although exhausted, appear on stage to take several curtain calls. She also gave out blessed food, and finally closed Her palms together to thank everyone, while quietly looking at the audience to bless them. The audience also held their palms together, to thank Her for bestowing upon them Her endless love.
When Master was invited to cut the cake, She could not push the knife into it. She said, "It's because God does not want us to part." Upon hearing that, everyone was touched. It was not until Master reminded everyone that they could go and eat that they were surprised at how time had flown by. Then fireworks were set off so that the guests and fellow practitioners could admire the magnificent sight while enjoying the delicious meal.
The colourful balloons drifted in the sky, an abundant supply of candies and biscuits were placed in every corner, and a joyful memory was inscribed in everyone's heart. The peace that God provided would ripple to every corner of the world through Hiers beloved children. Meanwhile, most of the fellow initiates were already eagerly rubbing their hands, preparing themselves mentally and physically, and awaiting the baptism of love which would take place during the seven-day retreat.
The seven-day retreat formally began the next day after the Ching Hai Day Celebration. In the afternoon, Master and everyone decided together which were the best performances to receive awards. Initiates voted democratically after they viewed the video of the programs once again. "The Union Of The Rivers" received the highest number of votes, but was declined by the one vote from Master. She said shyly and humorously that the play was only to "avenge" and "match" the bad ones performed by initiates in the past years, ones which made Her yawn and fall asleep. (Master and everyone laughed.)
The reasons why the programs won awards were that they sincerely wanted to offer Master and everyone enjoyment, the joy of beauty and an entertaining gift. Each one was well rehearsed, and their costumes were colorful and aesthetic. Master said, "Bringing others happiness and joy also has endless merits. When we sincerely perform for others, it is also a kind of merit, and a form of spiritual practice. It's because spiritual practitioners, like ourselves, all wish to become happy and free of worries. A person can only be happy when he is at ease and free. Even though they do not practice, or do not practice well, if they can laugh it means that they are at ease and free at that moment -- forgetting all their worries. At least for that moment, we let them forget their worries and be at ease for a while. With the worries in everyday life, during such a long suffering life, being able to be happy for a few minutes, a few seconds or a few hours, is already great! Most importantly is that we are sincere and earnest in our hearts, to make everyone happy, then the show will naturally be good. Of course you must silently recite the Buddha's names on stage (Master and everyone laugh), and pray to the inner Master to help you to dance. That is why when you all finished dancing, my whole body ached." (Master and everyone laugh.)
After the awards were presented, Master told us the important points for making a successful show: (1) Use appropriate music for each scene; (2) adequate rehearsals; (3) sincere desire to offer people a good time; (4) costumes and makeup should vary according to the situation, and whether it is a day or night performance; (5) express feelings realistically -- laugh during the happy scenes, and make a slightly longer face during sad ones.
Master also consoled the initiates who performed but did not receive any awards. She said it was because perhaps they were not united enough; did not practice well; or did not have enough time to rehearse. They should improve since they have identified their shortcomings, and should not be upset at not having received an award because spiritual practitioners should have already left behind matters of winning or losing.
Fellow practitioners from Europe and America showed great enthusiasm in participating in this seven-day retreat, so Master spoke mostly in English during Her lectures. Most surprisingly, more than a dozen fellow initiates from Au Lac overcame one difficulty after another because of their love for Master and reached their Hsihu home. Fellow initiates all over the world were all very happy for them.
Following a living Master to practice, everyone has an abundance of experiences. With Master's permission, fellow initiates could use the spare time during the noon break to report their most memorable experiences -- to share the fruit of their practice. There were arharts -- male and female; old and young; regardless of their profession or colour of their skin, who continuously got onto the platform to describe miraculous wonders so precious and rare, and told of their love and endless gratitude to Master.
In the Surangama Sutra there are only twenty-five Bodhisattvas who related their experiences. In each of the seven days of the retreat, fellow practitioners heard stories that were even more wonderful and moving. Because these facts happened among the people around us, they were more real and credible. That verified what Master said, "It is better to practice in the modern times."
Hearing some stubborn and not so wise disciples revealing how they had tested Master, made us understand even more about Master's unlimited patience and the unknown hardships that She undertakes.
The fellow initiates from Au Lac recounted their arduous journey in their search for the Truth, which moved people to tears, and reminded all the fellow initiates to cherish their merits at hand. A fellow practitioner from the early days disclosed how, many years ago, when Master just began to give lectures to the public, he had already had a vision of the spectacular scene of an ocean of people wanting to attend Her lecture. Also, there was a fellow initiate who saw a vision of extraterrestrials talking to Master.
One fellow initiate said, "We like to be near Master so much because we were created by Her." That fully described the reason for the great love between Master and disciples that could not be undermined.
Master gave lectures to us everyday, and received the fellow practitioners from aboard, personally answering their questions. As for how one could be able to see the light, Master told us some "secrets", such as choosing a soft cushion -- a type that allows air to flow through. Occasionally, we can also sit directly on a pebbled floor. The most important point is that we are relaxed. Master also said humorously, "You can experiment with various postures when you meditate to see which one suits you best. However, you must do the basic two and a half hours daily." Master also said, "You know why some of you don't see light when you meditate? It's because you think too much; you keep waiting, waiting for the experience to come. Don't wait. It will come. It can't run away. It's inside you. (Master and everyone laugh.) You are made of light. The whole of your being is light condensed. So whenever you realize that, that's the time you are liberated. You are the light and sound, not the cells that you think you are. Everything is made from light and sound but just different densities."
One evening, after reading a story about Lieh Tze, Master let us express our points of view on it. Fellow initiates from different nations enthusiastically exchanged their opinions in English. Through the discussion, Master trained us and tested the development of our wisdom. At the end, Master told us that it was good that one could be brave enough to state one's own viewpoint -- be it right or wrong, and that one's opinions and responses were so quick. This is similar to the tradition that the ancient Zen masters used with their disciples.
On the last evening, Master joined everyone to meditate and recite the holy names. The divine atmosphere was filled with boundless love that was like a warm stream coming from all directions, deeply touching and comforting the longing souls of fellow practitioners. This blessing was the greatest gift of grace.
There was a feeling of infinite bliss during the seven days in heaven. In a blink of an eye the retreat had come to an end. Being reluctant to leave, everyone especially treasured each minute, each second, that they were spending with Master. Giving well wishes of love to everyone at the end of the retreat, Master said, "The past seven days has been a great blessing from God, so that many people from different backgrounds, nations, races, habits and religions could stay in one place and become one. At least it was so in these seven days. Nothing happened in the past seven days. Everyone lived together quietly, even the neighbours don't know that there are several thousand people here -- eating and bathing. Therefore, we should thank God for Hiers grace and blessings." (Everyone applauded.)
Master also once again reminded us not to suffer from amnesia and dwell on samadhi with a one track mind when we returned home after the seven-day retreat. We still needed to remember the important matters, and focus our minds on fulfilling our responsibilities to our families. Then we would have no worries and would be able to concentrate on our practice. Master said, "I hope that when you return home you can bring some benefits to your families and your countries, and let them know that practicing the Quan Yin Method is truly good for you. When they see that you are full of love, spirit and patience, and aspire for Truth, virtue and beauty, they will know that we are walking on the right path, one that benefits people greatly. Nothing needs to be said at all. Actions speak louder than words. It is best to show an example by action."
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