Rescuing The Heavenly Seat!
By Fellow Initiate Guo, Taipei, Formosa
One winter Saturday in Taipei, it had been raining heavily all day. The weather forecast for the next day was for the temperature to drop below ten degrees c, a record low for the year. I was lying in bed, turning about, and groaning. I was so sick that I had not even the energy to get out of bed to take a bath. At last, I found an excuse for myself. I said to Master: "You must forgive Your disciple. I really cannot go to Hsihu this time for group meditation." Finally, I was still unable to fall asleep at three or four o'clock in the morning. I fell into a dream-like state, and distinctly saw someone arranging seats. Master gave an honorable seat to every initiated disciple. I saw the precious seats of some people being removed, and some other seats being taken to another side. The seat of my daughter, who was studying in secondary school with lots of homework and insufficient daily meditation, was also taken and placed to another side. After that, I saw someone taking up my seat and saying: "This person is frequently sick, always thinking of not attending group meditation. Since we do not know whether she will come this time, should her seat be retained?" Oh God! In fright, I woke up just as I was trying to run over to rescue my seat!
Looking at the clock on the wall, it was five o'clock in the morning. Not knowing where my strength came from, I jumped out of bed immediately to take a bath. My husband (also a fellow initiate) was already out of bed, carrying his seat cushion on his back and going to leave without waiting for me. Seeing this, I quickly called out to him: "Are you joking, not taking me along?" Fortunately, that day at Hsihu Center, there was fine, warm weather with a soft breeze and beautiful sunshine. My sickness and pain also disappeared on reaching there, just as if they had never existed! Since then, I can never find an excuse for not going to group meditation.
By News Group, Chiayi, Formosa
As the Vegetarian House was ready to close one evening, a couple suddenly came in. They had been driving a truck, so their bodies and clothes were dirty, and their eyes looked not only tired, but suggested a tone of anger. At that point, the sister initiate who managed the restaurant remembered Master's teaching: "Treat everyone with a loving heart". She therefore rose quickly and smilingly said "I am sorry to say, all the dishes have cooled and there is not much left. Perhaps if you don't mind, we could charge you less instead."
The couple accepted and started to eat. Now and then, the sister initiate, brimming with a heart full of love, continued putting more food on the couple's plates, even after the bill had been settled. With this, their frozen faces changed to shining joy, like the sunshine in spring.
The man started to talk to the fellow sister: "Before I came in, I was thinking that there were no good people left in this world. I have changed my mind now, as today I have finally met a good person". The man continued to pour out all that was in his heart. "Today is the first time that I have heard words said with such loving care, and I am really touched. Previously, when I was having a similar meal of `left-overs' in another restaurant, I made a joke to see if they would charge me less, but the boss said, "Either eat or don't eat - it's up to you." What a nasty tone he used. From your actions today such as your warm greeting to us, I am sure I have finally met a good person." He then looked at Master's photograph and said, "Your Master must be a very good person." After the meal, the couple left in high spirits.
The next day, they returned to the Vegetarian House. At first, the sister did not recognize them because they were wearing clean clothes and their faces were brightened with a smile - totally different than the day before. They seemed filled with love, as if they had regained confidence in the goodness of other people.
They were watching Master's lecture videotape while eating. After the meal, they bought some of Her photos and necklaces, and happily put them on in an instant, showing their purity of mind. Since then, they have often visited the Vegetarian House, to inquire about spiritual practice, and to further understand Master's teachings.
The fellow initiates who help out at the Vegetarian House realize deeply that the restaurant is a 'modern ashram,' meeting the needs of many sentient beings. To think, just one meal caused such a drastic change! Master's love incessantly comforts the lonely hearts of all sentient beings, like the Quan Yin Bodhisattva with a thousand hands and a thousand eyes, "fulfilling a thousand requests, answering a thousand prayers."
As You Think, So Shall It Be
By Fellow Initiate Lin, New York, U.S.A.
Before Master came to New York for the Celestial Fashion Show, there was some preparation to be done which required the collaboration of the local fellow initiates. With much excitement, the fellow initiates from the New York center eagerly joined Master's work-team. Regretfully, I didn't have much time to offer. I was always tied up with my children, attending classes, or working. At the time I was so ignorant that I couldn't distinguish between urgent matters, which I should have immediately attended to, and unimportant ones, which could have been disregarded. I was unable to ignore the mundane affairs temporarily to cooperate with the center.
I felt extremely terrible yet I couldn't let go. I didn't know why. I blamed myself for being unable to offer my best efforts. I wished that there was something which I could do at night without leaving home; I would do anything willingly, even without sleep.
I was talking to a fellow initiate about it three days before the fashion show. The fellow initiate tried to comfort me and said that Master understood everything, and that She had already made all the arrangements; if there was a job for me, I wouldn't be able to get away from it.
As the fashion show was fast approaching, all that needed to be done was already done, and what was not yet completed was already well underway. I was sure that there was no chance left for me.
Master, however, had heard my wish! The night before the fashion show, a brother initiate was urgently looking for someone who could type up the program for the show, and Master led him to me. I took the job and typed throughout the night - exactly like I had wished to work.
Master took care of me so meticulously and intimately that I was very touched and amazed at Her wonders. I also thought about what Master often reminds us, which is to pay attention to our thoughts. Since a spiritual practitioner's will is inconceivably powerful, we must take care not to harbor any negative or evil thoughts. For as we think, so shall it be!
By Fellow Initiate Liang, Taipei, Formosa
This is a story that illustrates how a person's thoughts can affect an outcome. A celebrated general in British history, the "Duke of Wellington," had a beautiful daughter who was betrothed to a soldier. Once, this would-be son-in-law of the Duke of Wellington was about to be sent to the battlefield, and he was very worried that he would not come back alive. He therefore entrusted all of his personal valuables, including his pocket watch, to his fiancee, and spoke in a depressing manner. Having heard about this episode, the Duke of Wellington told his daughter clearly that her fiance definitely would not come back alive. He realized that his would-be son-in-law had implanted a negative thought in his mind and that he would most probably die on the battlefield. Sadly, this turned out to be true, as the young man was later killed in battle. This is a demonstration of the influence of the power of thought.
The world today is full of calamities. My personal opinion is that we should adhere to Master's instructions, increase group meditation sessions and time, dissolve the negative force with our positive force, and make all essential preparations to minimize any possible future detrimental effects. Furthermore, we should purify our own 'actions, speech, and thoughts.' In 'purifying our actions,' we only do things that are beneficial to everyone, instead of evil deeds. In 'purifying our speech,' only moral and positive words should be spoken, no gossip. In `purifying our thoughts,' we think only of positive things, and reject negative ideas. 'Act purely, speak purely, and think purely,' so that we can purify our living environment, convert negative to positive, and turn any crisis into a beneficial event.
I believe most of you have watched the videotape of Master's lecture, entitled, 'Leading the World into a New Era,' given at Hsihu Center on April 10, 1992.
With Her most sincere intention, Master asked us to be the torch bearers of the world. "As long as we live, we must dedicate our whole to the goodness, to the progress of mankind, of the whole world, of the whole universe. Our vision must be so large, larger than life, must be so noble that we have nothing else to lose. We fear nothing in such greatness of vision."
Oh! So great is Suma Ching Hai, so magnanimous! No worldly language can ever express my revered love toward Her, and even more impossible, describe Her divine love for Her disciples. We can only hope that all fellow practitioners will follow Master's teachings, to be worthy of the grace that God has bestowed on them.
A humble heart is an empty heart - no obstacles, no ego, no arrogance, having no place to rely on. Only when it is empty, can it accept the precious things that a filled heart cannot contain.
To learn the Truth, all one needs is an empty heart, a humble heart, a sincere heart.