Special Reports

After much preparation and anticipation, the International 5-Day Retreat was held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Long Beach, a well-known harbor in southern California. The luxurious hotel, which faces the ocean, is bordered by verdant trees and vast grassy areas, is like a heavenly garden.

After dawn on the 24th of December, fellow practitioners from all over the globe began arriving at the warm oceanside city. Carrying their luggages and with beaming faces, entered the Hyatt Regency Hotel to register for their lodging and for the retreat. There were approximately 2,600 participants who came from countries such as Au Lac, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Denmark, England, Formosa, France, Germany, Holland, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Laos, Mexico, the Netherlands, Panama, Singapore, Sweden, Thailand and the United States.

December 25th

At 4 a.m., the International 5-Day Retreat officially began at the Long Beach Convention Center, located next to the Hyatt Regency Hotel. Retreat participants only needed to go through a short walkway connecting the Hyatt and the Convention Center to reach the meditation hall. Some fellow practitioners jokingly called this the bridge between earth and heaven.

After the first meditation session, we got to hear Master's voice via a long-distance conference call. She said that She would be unable to attend the retreat and further expressed Her love for us. Afterward, She allowed us to ask questions. Some fellow practitioners took this opportunity to do so and to express their love and longing for Her. Understanding our hearts' longing, She didn't hang up the phone until all questions had been answered, then She said "good night" to everyone.

The kitchen staff offered ample delicious and nutritious meals. Everyone was satisfied, spiritually and physically. The dining hall was located on the third floor of the hotel. There were rows of buffet tables from which we selected our food. We then exited to find a spot where we could enjoy the delicious meal before returning to the meditation hall. Soaring again the inner beautiful fairyland.

The afternoon meditation session began with some fellow practitioners' accounts of their accomplishments and obstacles during the course of their own spiritual development. Afterward, we meditated in a warm and loving atmosphere.

After dinner and free time, we eagerly returned to the meditation hall to watch Master's videotaped lectures. We were reminded of many good times as we saw and heard our beloved Master. Although we were physically apart, Master's spirit was with us during our meditation.

December 26th and 27th

We followed the same basic schedule as on the 25th. However, today, some fellow practitioners discovered we had a bookstore just next to the meditation hall. Therefore, after the meditation session, they went to have a look. The exquisite celestial clothes, designed by Supreme Master Ching Hai, were displayed in the center of the room. The bookstore also contained multilingual books, audio- and videotapes, and Master's paintings. Several people entered the typically crowded bookstore with curiosity and later walked out with a stack of books or a few videotapes in their hands, "spiritual food which is savored wholeheartedly by fellow practitioners.

December 28th

During the morning meditation, a familiar voice suddenly became audible. We could not believe our ears and then opened our eyes. As if in a dream, our beloved Master was there, on the stage. Everyone shouted with joy, similar to the sound of children when they find their mother and can be embraced in her sweet arms. Graceful in a simple outfit, Master happily greeted us. After giving a talk, She said She would be back for the entertainment program after dinner.

That night, an entertainment program was put together by fellow practitioners. After days of meditating and inspired by the joy of being reunited with Master, their music and dances were lively and spontaneous, bringing warmth to the audience. At the end of the program, Master walked among fellow practitioners to greet us before leaving to take a rest. We left the meditation hall satisfied and elated.

December 29th

Around 8:30 in the morning, during our meditation Master again visited us. In Her concluding lecture, She reminded us to accept ourselves. She said, to others, maybe She made some mistakes. They seemed to be mistakes, but sometimes Her "mistakes are ways to provide spiritual lessons for others. Master commented that She is always happy to help everyone to learn and progress in any way She can.

According to Master, She suggested a way for us to check how much we have improved. An event or situation itself is not important; what is important is our reaction to that event.

In addition, She warned us not to think that people around us are all Bodhisattvas. They too can be used by Maya's forces to drag us down and create obstacles for us. Whenever we are dragged down that means She is in trouble. Being a Master is a tough and difficult job. Sometimes She cried also.

To conclude Her lecture, Master said that to develop spiritually, we do not need to leave home to follow Her around. She jokingly said that if we live with God, with the inner Master, that is already crowded enough.

The retreat came to an end. We left the meditation hall with joy and gratitude. We were thankful to God for blessing us with the opportunity to attend the 5-day retreat. We thanked our compassionate Master who, despite an exhausting schedule, had come and shared with us Her love and teachings. We were grateful to all of the retreat staff who worked hard to provide a loving meditation environment, and for arranging our accommodation and meals. And, last but not least, we were appreciative of our fellow practitioners from all over the world who had come to this family reunion, so that we could be together in a pure and loving atmosphere.¡¹

[Long Beach] After receiving Master's gracious permission, Los Angeles fellow practitioners were privileged to organize an evening of music and poetry recitals after the Long Beach International 5-Day Retreat in December, 1996. The main objective of this event was to introduce Master's exquisite poetry and a selection of musical compositions by Au Lac artists.

From 5 o'clock in the afternoon of the 29th of December, group after group of formally dressed people made their way to the main entrance of the theater. Fellow practitioners joyously invited family members and friends. Lovers of poetry and those who were just curious, also came in large numbers. Soon, the Terrace Theater, located inside the Long Beach Convention Center, was packed. It is one of the most elegant and luxurious theaters in Southern California with a capacity of over three thousand people.

It was around 7:30 PM when Master arrived in a simple lavender Au Lac traditional "ao dai, Her hair loose down her back, resembling very much that of a literary muse. She shook hands and greeted people on Her way in, and spared about fifteen minutes so that photographers and reporters could take pictures and ask questions. The program started shortly after.

Au Lac musicians, artists and writers performed, including: Professor Tran Van An, musicians Pham Duy, Thu Ho, Le Dinh, Trinh Lam Ngan, the Nguyen Dinh Nghia family, singers Khanh Ly, Duy Khanh, Le Thu, Mai Huong, Duy Quang, Thai Hien, Tuan Ngoc, Thai Thao, Phuong Vu, My Huyen, Xuan Phat, Van Son, Hoai Linh, and others. The Masters of Ceremony for the program included actor Tran Quang, actress Mai Phuong, and singers Le Uyen

Many disciples have described their spiritual growth as a result of working for the public. I'm learning that working for the public is really working for our own development. Master teaches us by exercising our wisdom through the lessons of service. Thus I enthusiastically accept opportunities that Master provides for me to serve, especially as a guard. I know that I've grown with each experience serving as one.

When I was still a relatively "newborn disciple, I volunteered for guard duty on some of the US retreats like the one in Hawaii (1993) and Chicago (1994). Being a young disciple, sometimes I thought of being a guard as a mere obligation rather than an honor. I would often feel regret after having volunteered to be a guard because I would often miss out on seeing Master. I especially felt selfish if the guard post was some isolated area like a tremendously boring, empty hallway away from all activities. I would sometimes think, "You're so stupid! You are wasting the chance to be with Master. You're missing out on all the blessings. Let someone else have this boring duty. Clearly, I was not mature then.

On this 5-day international retreat in California in December 1996, I promised myself to serve as a guard rather than work as a guard, and lovingly treat fellow practitioners as Master's children, instead of as just people who I had to protect Master from. I prayed to Master, "Please Master, grant me the purity of heart and mind to serve You and all these Buddhas. I kept this prayer with me as I stood guard in the meditation hall.

As I stood there while all the fellow practitioners meditated, I suddenly felt so honored to serve all these Buddhas. I thought, each and every one of these souls is valiantly searching and striving in their own way to return Home. I felt that serving and protecting Master's children is truly a sacred duty. I was very happy to have been given the opportunity.

During the concert, I again was faced with my "empty hallway syndrome. The guard leader assigned me to an empty hallway to make sure no unauthorized person entered the rooms, although most were locked. He also said that this position was critical because one of the doors provided access to the backstage area.

My dilemma, however, was that I was already so tired after five days of guard duty. I also felt that the night would be a long and tiring one. I then started to feel selfish again until I thought: "Master has sacrificed so much for us and has blessed us with so much. Is my love for Master so shallow as to not be willing to give one more evening to ensure the program would be carried out with no interruption? I do love Master very much! I am happy that Master gave me this opportunity to do something for Her. With that thought, I was inspired to be the guard at this seemingly unimportant position for the night. Little did I know that Master had already blessed me by entrusting me with this position.

It transpired that one set of doors was Master's back-way entry into the theater and another set of doors opened into Master's private resting room. I was so thrilled when She came and I had the chance to open the door for Her. After many hours on guard and at the end of the concert, Master had come out. She turned to me and said, "Thank you for taking care of us. My love and respect poured out in three words, "Thank YOU, Master! What else is there to say. She has given me so much and now She is thanking me for doing so little. This is a lesson in humility.

With each experience as a guard, I'm learning exactly what that position requires. The objective is simple: to serve. The hard part of serving is to do it unselfishly and unconditionally.

The second difficult challenge is to balance firmness and gentleness in dealing with people. I only hope Master gives me more opportunities to serve and grow.¡¹

On the last day of the retreat my spiritual experience culminated when Master gently touched my head as She passed through the crowd to leave the meditation hall. I felt a profound sense of radiance and peace that is with me still. I will always feel that the Long Beach International 5-Day Retreat was especially meaningful for me, because I was touched by Her infinite love and compassion.

During the retreat Master really uplifted my soul and cleansed my negative feelings. For example, although I have long believed that I have an Oriental soul inside an American body, I sometimes used to feel left out when I was around Asian fellow initiates who are more comfortable speaking in their own languages. But now I feel much closer to all fellow initiates. There is no barrier between cultures for me anymore. I understand more deeply that there is an invisible link between fellow initiates, who are all part of the big Quan Yin family -- a family founded on true, unconditional love. I am happy that I have so many brothers and sisters around the world. And most of all, I love and appreciate our great compassionate Master who teaches Her disciples to drop their egos and negative feelings through dealing with everyday problems and life's activities.¡¹

I am one of the fortunate ones who was able to attend the 5-Day International Retreat in Long Beach, California. I just want to share with you my feelings, which I am sure were the same for all those who were there.

Master could have stayed wherever She was and rest Her tired body (we were told that She had an operation a short while ago). Instead, She took another one of those tiring 20-something hour flights and went through another dreaded US customs clearance searches to see us! This time, there was added pressure from the news media. Without rest, She came straight from the airport to the retreat to bless us and talk with us. She showered us with such intense warmth and tender love as She walked back and forth among us. She was so caring, so patient, so forgiving and so very beautiful. And She never failed to answer all our questions and fulfill our needs, including those that we did not ask out aloud. She spoils us, yet can be firm when She feels that we are straying a little too far, just like a good loving mother.

The above sounds so repetitive that I almost don't want to write it. However, I feel that I should mention it here one more time because I would like to remind everyone, and mostly myself, how lucky we are. We tend to forget sometimes. Even though we never really forget completely, we just don't appreciate Her as much as we really should.

You see, we have a Master who crosses mountains and oceans to see us instead of the other way around. We have a Master who chooses to show love rather than a lofty attitude. We have a Master who thinks of us first and not of Her own dislikes and discomfort. We have a Master who continues to help and care unconditionally (for initiates and non-initiates alike) even though She is constantly being misunderstood and mistreated. We have a Master who is multi-talented and uses so many interesting and beautiful ways to lead us to the Truth. We have a Master who is the Supreme Master and who knows the only way to the Truth. What more could we ask for? We must practice diligently to repay Her, which is all She ever asks of us, even though the ultimate beneficiaries are ourselves.

Thank You, Master !¡¹

December 24th

After I disembarked from the plane and entered the City of Angels, I immediately felt an intense yet gentle loving power envelop me completely. It was evening on Christmas Eve. Santa Claus waved to us joyously from the roadside. It brought to mind a Christmas carol entitled "The Little Drummer Boy The carol is about a little boy rejoicing at the news that Jesus Christ was born. However, he was so poor that he couldn't even find a gift for the holy child. All he could do was beat his drum to glorify Christ. Every time I hear this song, I am moved to tears. And now I impulsively wanted to rush out beating a washbasin in the streets and alleys to tell the world: "The Messiah is born! The Messiah is born! However, I knew I would most certainly be mistaken for a lunatic.

December 27th

Previously, a three-hour session of Sound contemplation would leave me feeling intoxicated and light-headed. Today, it was really strange. After I had done the Sound meditation for more than three hours at a stretch, anger arose in me for some unknown reason. I began to blame God: "You are always wanting me to do this and do that. Yet, whenever I need help or when I want support and encouragement from someone, no one even takes notice of me. And I can only rely on myself. You have only been using me. You never care about my needs. You turn a deaf ear to my crying. I hate you!

It began to rain heavily at noon. I was in no mood for lunch nor dinner. I felt so hurt that I rushed back to the hotel alone in tears. My hair and clothes became wet. However, the rain gave me a feeling of bliss. I felt a little cold as though I was about to fall ill. I was not only drenched on the outside -- inside, I was soaking wet too. I felt happy yet sad.

Later in the evening, as I was about to return to the meditation hall, I ran into a sister initiate who had flown to LA on the same flight as me. That was the first time we met. She offered to share her umbrella with me. As we walked, these words suddenly rushed out from her mouth: "Look at this rain. It shows just how merciful heaven is! Don't be sad and dejected because of what others say. You yourself are the greatest treasure.

I looked at her, baffled. Her eyes sparkled and her face shone with radiance. However, as soon as she stopped speaking, this momentary glow and brilliance faded away. Faintly I felt that this was just a prelude to something.

We arrived at the meditation hall. A videotape was being played and I heard Master say: "You should make use of whatever talent God bestows upon you. Don't be like those muscular people who do not make use of their physiques and are idle. When they die, they leave behind nothing but a muscular body. Some people go through the motions of walking, they are actually stepping on the same spot over and over. They never advance, nor do they make themselves useful in any way. The most important thing is to do something. Don't think that I was born a holy saint. I too have been through many trials and errors. No one is born perfect. We must try to do things, learn from our mistakes, and improve ourselves so that we can be closer to perfection.

Again tears welled up in my eyes. It turned out that my many small frustrations had slowly built up my emotions. I had completely failed to perceive that this inner wrath and depression had evolved into a spiritual burden. This intense anger emerged because merciful Master wanted to purge my body of this 'garbage', to cleanse me and make me new again.

Master's manifestation body did come to see me today. Overjoyed and moved, I couldn't stop myself from laughing out loud. A sister initiate from India sitting beside me watched me sympathetically as I cried and laughed to myself.

December 28th

During the morning meditation session, cries of exhilaration broke out. Startled, the sister initiate beside me asked, "What happened?

My instinctive response was, "Master is here. True enough. Loud rounds of applause reached our ears. Master had come. Everyone was bubbling with excitement and jubilance. Master looked fine and happy. Every one of the fellow initiates were exulted. It was raining, but

Master's arrival brought the sun out from behind the clouds. Even the faces of black-skin fellow initiates shone in radiance. Master asked us why we liked to see Her so much. I answered quietly to myself: "Because only when I see Master do I realize just how perfect I am inside and just how great I could become. Master is exemplary. The sight of Her fills me with hope and confidence to work harder at spiritual practice and in searching for my true Self.

December 29th

The 5-day retreat is over. During lunch today, I overheard this conversation: "Brother, how was your 5-day retreat?

"Do you want to listen to the positive and affirmative, or the practical?

"What is the positive and affirmative?

"Well, it was a golden experience of brilliance and resplendence that as lit up by thousands of beams of auspicious light.

"Then what is the practical? "Well, my whole body aches because of the way I slept. (He meant sleeping while meditating.) Every one of us felt the same way.

Post-retreat notes

This 5-day retreat was totally different from my previous experiences. I feel as though my former self had died and a new self has been born. I find myself looking at a stranger in the mirror. I feel curious yet find it intriguing. Who am I? All my earlier concepts, ideas, attitudes, responses and style have disappeared. Exactly what is the personality, style and demeanor of this new self? I have no idea at all. I feel excited and expectant. Master has said that each one of us should build our own spiritual Center wherever we find ourselves. No matter where we go or where we live, we should transform that place into a Center of spiritual practice.

In the past, each time I returned from a retreat I would feel as though I had fallen from heaven back into this mundane world. This time, however, I feel as though I have brought heaven back with me. I am thrilled and elated.¡¹

Attending the 5-day retreat in Long Beach, California, last Christmas was one of the many fortunate events in my life. During this retreat, as usual, I found several new things in Master's talks which touched me deeply.

She always seems to know what we think and always talks on the subjects that affect us the most at any particular time. Even though I've never had a chance to converse with Master directly, each time I see Her, I have found this to be true. I am often moved to tears when I hear Her talk or when I think about Her.

When a fellow practitioner expressed the wish to follow Her closely to serve humanity better, Master told us some of the dilemmas She has faced when dealing with disciples who work closely with Her. She was sometimes torn between conflicting prayers because while someone may want to follow Her closely, someone else, who is close to that person, may pray to Master to bring them back to their family. So sometimes Master had to play the role of a "bad guy to send that disciple back to their family to fulfill the wish of their loved ones. Master said She sometimes cried because She had to do things which She did not want to. The mother of too many children cannot satisfy every child all the time, and is always misunderstood by one child or another! Still, She is firm in Her direction, and always decides what is right at any particular moment, and moves on without being concerned about irrelevant opinions.

Yet regardless of how badly outsiders misunderstand Her, Master still serves them through various activities around the world. She does not stop doing what is good just because people are ungrateful and treat Her badly. This is the lesson She teaches us both verbally and by example.¡¹