Beauty Brought Us Together -
It was around closing time on the last day of the painting exhibition. Together, the fellow initiates were packing up in silence. Some people were still enjoying the videotape of Master's lecture. Looking around and recalling the events in the past week, I felt a bit reluctant to leave.
The site chosen for the exhibition was at an open style exhibition hall in the Federal building, near a subway station. China Town and big shopping centers are nearby so that all kinds of people were able to have the opportunity to know about Master. Early every morning while we were decorating the exhibition hall, we broadcasted the electronic music composed by Master, and we became more light and energetic! Apart from Master's paintings, we also displayed Her photos, posters, books, as well the Longevity Lamps. The videotapes of Master's lectures were also shown to the public. The whole exhibition hall was filled with a spiritual atmosphere.
Everyday, lots of people came to admire Master's art paintings or to sit down and watch Master's lectures on television. There was an especially big crowd when we played the video entitled, "Rediscover Truth, Virtue and Beauty." Many of the audience praised Master's beauty and some even said that She is fit to be a fashion model! One person was curious and full of admiration for a Master who is so multi-talented and can speak so many languages. He asked details about Master's life and teachings before leaving. Some people even watched the video broadcast for the whole afternoon whilst others came to watch daily for several days. Some people came to our information desk to ask about Master's teachings just after they had watched part of the video broadcast. Some took the sample booklets back home to read and came back the next day to get a deeper understanding.
For a few days, an Indian gentleman requested that we show the videotape of Master's lecture in Montreal last year, because Master especially blessed him when She came here last year and he was deeply moved. Another friend who practices other method was very disappointed because for certain reasons, he could not attend Master's lecture last year. This time when he walked into the exhibition hall, to his great surprise and delight, he discovered by chance Master's poster. Happily, he followed us to the center to have further understanding of Master's teachings, and is now earnestly awaiting initiation.
Many people asked where Master was, and when She would be in Montreal again. The local people's intense spiritual longing can thus be seen. Besides, throughout the painting exhibition, we also prepared vegetarian delicacies everyday for the public to taste so as to promote the concept of vegetarianism. Some people, in the midst of watching the video, went to the information desk to take some vegetarian food. We could feel their satisfaction in enjoying both spiritual and material food together. Master's great loving power was the pushing force behind everything. Grown ups, children, wanderers and even the federal building security guards, came naturally to our information desk to get vegetarian food and candies, and to chat together with us. When the exhibition ended, some guards even helped us to pack up our things.
To the initiates' delight, this activity had another result. When working together, we exchanged ideas concerning our practice and feelings about our daily lives. By listening to the difficulties of others and the suffering in other nations of the world, we experienced the development of love. Some of the working initiates and would-be initiates were native Canadians, Europeans, Au Lac people and Chinese. We often encouraged and took care of each other while working. When we were introducing Master's teaching to the public, we also felt tranquility and satisfaction in our own hearts. The working initiates even learned each other's languages in order to associate together with even less hindrance.
Thanks to Master, we, these children of common ideals, were united to form a big, loving family.
Abundant Rewards At The Spiritual Festival
The Annual Festival Of Indian Spiritual Unity
In The United Kingdom
A Quan Yin messenger and fellow initiates in the UK, through the introduction of Indian friends, attended the UK annual Festival of Indian Spiritual Unity, at Round Pine Park, London. The festival ran for seven days. There were up to ten thousand Hindus and some people from other religions in daily attendance, and tens of thousands of people came to the opening day.
Our fellow initiates went to the event to distribute sample booklets. The venue was teeming with people as thousands of Hindus came from all over the place to attend the festival. The Hindu ladies were wearing the dignified and noble traditional Indian dresses, Saree, making the whole event more colorful, and beautiful.
When our fellow initiates entered the festival and told the person in charge, Mr. Sanghani about their intention, he immediately extended a warm invitation to them to be seated in the VIP section. He also took the initiative to help our fellow initiates distribute the sample booklets. Just as Master has always told us, the sincerity of the Indian people in their respect for spiritual Masters made deep impressions upon the fellow initiates. Several thousand sample booklets were eagerly grabbed by Indian friends and within half an hour they were gone. Mr. Sanghani said humorously, "Next time when you attend our spiritual festival, be sure to bring a truckload of the sample booklets!"
The festival then started with pieces of spiritual music with the traditional Indian instrumental. There were also performers singing in Hindi scriptures and poetry. The atmosphere was dignified and peaceful. At 10:00 am sharp, with the arrival of the long-awaited Shri Morari Bapu and invited teachers of other religious sects, the festival had reached its climax. Next, the MC introduced the teachers in turn and also announced the attendance of the disciples of the Supreme Master Ching Hai as VIP's. The festival personnel then distributed the sample-booklets and leaflets containing Master's life history and teachings to every teacher present.
The festival continued until 2:00 p.m.
Warm Response
The origin of this spiritual festival dates back five thousand years in Haridwar, India, when it was first formed by King Parikshit and Swami Shukadevji Maharaji. The purpose was to pray for world peace regardless of race, nation, religious belief so as to plant together the consciousness and love of God Almighty deep into the heart of the people of the whole world.
The person in charge of planning the festival, Mr. D. R. Vasistha, indicated, "If Master could personally attend, even for just a day to bless everyone, it would be the greatest honor of the festival!"
In order to further understand Master's teachings, Mr. Vasistha invited the Quan Yin messenger and UK fellow initiates to his house at the end of September. He also arranged for his yoga master and some good friends of spiritual practice in the UK to meet with fellow initiates. When they arrived at his house, he greeted the Quan Yin messenger with the highest respect in Indian tradition and presented flowers to all the fellow initiates. The floor and the chairs were all covered with white cloth to show welcome and respect to Master's representatives. The Quan Yin messenger in return presented Master's books and Master's picture with traditional Chinese knots to him and also conveyed Master's love and greetings.
In the ensuing two hours of discussion and exchanges of practicing achievements, this yoga teacher, who had been practicing and meditating for more than ten years, brought up many high level questions about practice, and the Quan Yin messenger replied to each one. All the people present expressed the hope to be able to learn the Quan Yin Method on the spot.
After the meeting, Mr. Vasistha humbly indicated, "I sincerely hope to have the great honor to invite Master to attend this Indian spiritual festival. Even if Master is engaged and unable to attend, please sent a representative, and we wish to receive Master's personal blessings." He also expressed that he hopes to obtain Master's permission to print Master's name and Master's blessing for the festival on the festival's introductory brochure, so as to let the people of the world get to know Master and to share Master's blessing.
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