Relief Efforts

God Never Forgets His Children

Photo:
(1) View from the airplane. What used to be farmland is now a vast ocean. The flood has swallowed the fields.
(2) The Cambodian Prime Minister is most compassionate to his people. Wherever he goes, he always cordially shakes hands with his people, cheering and consoling them.
(3) When visiting the Princess, fellow practitioners presented her a Chinese knot decoration with Master's photograph, and also some of Master's teaching literature.
(4) The Prime Minister and his wife go with the relief team on every trip to visit the disaster victims.
(5) The army have contributed a lot to the relief operation by providing manpower and transportation assistance. (6) Most of the relief materials are packed by the fellow initiates; including spiritual food such as Master's sample booklets and photos. (7) Upon receiving the relief materials, some people simply could not wait to read Master's sample booklet.
(3) English and Chinese classes are held in the meditation center free of charge, helping the Cambodian people to have better employment prospects.
Who would have expected, that a country stricken with disasters and calamities, consistently ignored by the rest of the world, would receive Buddha's blessings because of the sincerity of the native people and as a result of these disasters.

A Comprehensive Report by the Relief Group in Cambodia

Mekong River Running Wild

The recent flood was due to the overflowing of the Mekong River, which crosses Cambodia. After Master knew about the disaster, She sent a Quan Yin messenger to the area to assist in the relief efforts. First, the messenger set up a small center in Phnom Penh (Cambodia's capital). As there are no initiates in the country, initiates from neighbouring countries rushed to Cambodia forming a group to assist in the relief efforts. The Cambodian government and army also co-operated with the initiates to bring relief materials to the areas most seriously affected.

Travelling north from the capital Phnom Penh, except those higher roads, it looked as though the ocean extended out from either side of the road, or as though the road was an endless bridge over an ocean. The tall trees were half covered with water, and the fields were totally covered. In the more seriously affected areas, you could see children and old people squatting beside the roads begging for food from the people who passed by in cars. People who had lost their homes had to build temporary huts along the roads. A few skinny cows were trying to pick at the morsels of grass that could be found at the roadsides. These scenes highlighted the need for immediate relief attention in the area.

The Fastest Relief Group

Due to Master's brilliant direction and organization, our relief efforts were always the most direct, fastest and efficient in supplying the most useful and needed relief materials. Our group was not like the normal relief groups that donate money and send relief materials, which have to go through many administrational procedures, always decreases the efficiency of such efforts. To assist in the speed of delivering the relief materials, most of the work, including ordering rice, sugar, salt and towels from the wholesalers, then dividing everything into small portions, was done by fellow initiates.

The most difficult aspect of the transportation operation were the roads, having been destroyed during the recent war, being flood covered, and some still under the threat of harassment from the Cambodian communists. Only a few kilometers of travel would take over 10 hours. Crossing the bridges however was even more dangerous. Fortunately, the government's massive efforts using land, air and sea modes of transportation made the relief work successful.

The Cambodian Prime Minister And His Wife Love The People As If They Were Their Own Children

Cambodia's Prime Minister and his wife, along with the government departmental heads, always went with our relief group to the affected areas to assist in the relief efforts. Everywhere they went, the Prime Minister and his wife warmly shook hands with the people who were eagerly waiting beside the roads, displaying a natural loving and humble attitude that really touched the hearts! In his speech to the people, beside giving encouragement and consolation, the Prime Minister often commended Master for Her mercy and benevolence, as well as Her warm heart. The Prime Minister also expressed his admiration and heartfelt thanks for the hard-working efforts contributed by our relief group, as well as the risks they took. He stated that there were some other relief groups that came to assist, but they also had additional conditions. Only the Supreme Master Ching Hai group gave with no conditions - contributing their love as though - 'when we are drowning, they are drowning too'. This really moved him very much.

Spiritual Food For
The Disaster Victims

The relief materials distributed to the victims included rice, salt, sugar, towels and other living necessities. Above all, there was one precious spiritual food - a beautifully printed sample booklet of Master in Cambodian language. As soon as the victims received it, they would sit down at the nearest convenient place and read the booklet immediately. On one occasion, they were so touched by Master's love while queuing for the relief materials, that they chanted Master's name together, "Ching Hai! Ching Hai!" Their chanting lingered and reverberated until finally we could only hear "Hai...Hai...Hai..." (Ocean... Ocean... Ocean...) That was the moment when everyone merged into Master's ocean of love.

Lotus Country

The Cambodians are pious Buddhists, so they are very fond of lotus flowers. Everywhere in the country, you can find lotus flowers, including ponds and even the drainage gutters. They blossom on the water in assorted refreshing colours and positions. The pious farmers would even plant them in the flooded fields to offer to the Buddha. This truly depicted the simple and optimistic nature of the native people.

Paddy fields immersed in water were a common sight during our relief effort trip. We could feel the intense agony of having no rice to eat after planting so many paddies. This pain is really indescribable. Although tormented by poverty, the people here are still struggling courageously. Their spirit of not yielding to disasters and difficulties is truly touching. Using rice straws and twigs, they constructed by the roadsides crude "roof and wall" shelters to protect themselves against the rain and for sleeping, while persistently struggling with the elements. We can only pray sincerely to God, "Please bless and protect your suffering children!"

Truly, God Has Not Forgotten Them!

To the most needy, Master always graces them with the greatest love and care. Therefore, Master's holy footsteps have landed on this afflicted country, bringing infinite light and love to them. At the branch meditation center, Master requested the details concerning the disaster relief work, and gave some instructions and advice to the disciples. Master told us, "When helping others, we are actually helping ourselves." Listening to Master's loving words, fellow disciples were overwhelmed with blessings deep inside.

During the few days of Master's precious stay in Cambodia, many would-be initiates from neighbouring countries came to Cambodia for the initiation. Some local Chinese and Au Lac people also received the initiation. The Quan Yin Method is beginning to spread in this "new" country. Who could have imagined that this nation, suffering and previously long forgotten by the world, would receive such a special blessing from the Buddha because of the misery, sincerity and kind nature of her people.

<Revelations from the Mission>

Teachers And Students Benefitting Each Other

By Fellow Initiate Wang, Canada

Only after I arrived in Cambodia did I find out that I was supposed to teach English here. I was a bit worried, fearing that I might not have sufficient compassion to accomplish Master's assignment. Fortunately, the Quan Yin messenger reminded me, "God will arrange for everything." My worries eased, and I started preparing the teaching materials. Many eager students enrolled for the class, amply displaying their intense desire for learning. Most students in the elementary class are small children. It is a real delight teaching them. Their shining eyes and mischievous faces, staring seriously at me, watching my mouth shape the pronunciations, or jotting down notes. They are gifts of joy from God to me!

In the intermediate class, most students are high school or university students, also some working adults. The teaching syllabus emphasizes daily conversation and Master's teachings. I am actually a very shy person. However, to help them practicing their conversation, I have to speak more to encourage them to talk. To understand them better, I needed to mix with them. After several lessons, the students showed that they enjoy this learning method, which eased my mind a little bit. I found I overcame my weakness.

One day when I was giving a lesson, Master passed by and observed that the conditions of our classroom were not very ideal, so She tried to improve them. For example, She told us to dig a space and bury the power generator, the source of the irritating noise underground and shift the classes to the inside of the meditation center instead of the noisy terrace as it was previously held. Master even offered Her own room to be used as the classroom. When Master passed by again, She was concerned about the teaching staff. She asked me, "What are you teaching? Do you have any textbooks? Is what you are teaching going to be helpful to the students in finding a job in the future?" I said that daily conversation was being taught in each lesson. Being satisfied, Master then left.

Master's meticulous concern towards the students made them feel Her love! Many students came and asked me, "Is She the Supreme Master Ching Hai?" Master cares for the students even more than I do. She taught me what a totally devoted offering is, and what is unconditional love!

Giving Our Love

By Fellow Initiate Chang, Taipei, Formosa

One day in September, I was sitting alone by the Nectar River reading a report in the News magazine about the refugees in Palawan. Knowing their miserable fate, their struggle and helplessness, at that moment I seemed to have experienced the same misery as them both in body and mind. The piercing agony in my heart made me looked at the sky while shedding wordless tears.... I was thinking, should God wish to use this tool, I am willing to go to any corner of the world. Truly, God answered my prayer. A few days later, He arranged for me to go to Cambodia with a Quan Yin messenger.

Master is very concerned about the Cambodian people. Wanting them to have more and better employment chances, She set up classes for Chinese and English lessons in the meditation center in Cambodia. Therefore, the opportunity came and I was able to come here to teach Chinese. When we started, many students came eagerly to learn. There are school students of all levels, as well as other young people from the society. They are pure and simple, and most eager to learn. Even though there is no tuition fee, they study very diligently and earnestly. They are truly serious in their studies.

Each time I step on the teaching platform, I feel like a fully inflated balloon, overwhelmingly charged with Master's blessing of love. Looking at their sincere and enthusiastic faces, I feel as if they are all my brothers and sisters. Then, I forget about heaven and earth, even the whole universe. All I have in mind is to give with total devotion, giving all my best.

I was told the national name of "Cambodia" (Kam-puchea) means "reduce the accumulated past karma". Despite many years of terrifying persecution, the benign nature of the people has not been stifled. The people are still honestly and diligently striving for survival on this land. Perhaps it is because of their pureness of mind that God has not forgotten this corner, even though they have been forgotten by the world. Master's holy feet have graced this country. The seeds of love have been sown. Winter is ending, Spring should not be far away!