Spiritual Interlude

All these years after my initiation, cooking vegetarian meals had always been a big headache for me. Although I have dozens of all kinds of vegetarian cookbooks at home, most of the recipes are either ordinary in taste, complicated in preparation, or difficult in getting the ingredients. I found it difficult to prepare meals that are splendid in flavors, looks and aroma; balanced in nutrients; and rich in variety. Therefore, very often, I would give up after having tried to cook for several days. Then, I would find all kinds of excuses to convince my family to eat out at vegetarian restaurants. Furthmore, ready-made vegetarian foodstuffs were included almost at every meal at home. I knew very well that excessive intake of prepared foodstuff is not only harmful to health, but detrimental to spiritual practice as well. However, owing to my terrible culinary skill, I had no option but to continue using them.

I immediately bought a copy of The Supreme Kitchen when it was released. The first recipe I tried was Master's acclaimed dish -- Good Wife's Tofu. God! This gourmet dish really belongs only in heaven. Not only is the preparation very easy, it also tastes wonderfully refreshing -- which really cannot be expressed in words. Since then, all the ready-made foodstuffs were "forsaken". I can hardly swallow any food cooked with those imported frozen vegetarian products. Therefore, my problem in cooking vegetarian meals was solved.

There is such a great variety of fruits and vegetables, and the dishes derived from them are numerous. It is strange that they never crossed my mind. Before, I wanted to eat in the restaurant everyday. Now, I eat meals comparable to restaurant dishes everyday at home. It may be only a dish of boiled vegetables with rice rolls; but it meets all the requirements of being fast, convenient, nutritious and delicious. The Supreme Kitchen truly deserves its title!

Master has said that healthy and light food are especially beneficial to spiritual practitioners; because after eating these food, our spiritual bodies can drift upwards more easily. We are thankful to Master for considerately publishing The Supreme Kitchen for Her disciples, which is fully charged with Her love. Therefore, as we eat each dish, inside, our spiritual body will become more stable and sound.

Once I was working as a guard. The time was from two to four o'clock in the afternoon. The location was at the entrance to the camp area near the basketball court. It was during the time scheduled for Master's speech and this was a location seldom traversed by Her. I couldn't help but think with some regret, "I probably won't be able to see Master." I also thought, "Why not take my turn standing guard half an hour early, so that the previous guard could get into the lecture hall to listen to Master's speech?"

A short while after I took my position. I saw Master come with a carload of children calling out and waving at me from a distance. As the car zoomed past me, She again waved at me with kindness. Suddenly, I was overwhelmed with emotion and tears rolled uncontrollably down my cheeks. I only had the thought of serving others, and Master immediately encouraged me. She gave me so much. She not only satisfied my yearning to see Her, but also gave me a special blessing that filled my heart and let me experience the notion of "loving others means loving ourselves".

Master's magnificence and perfection really cannot be expressed in words.