Supreme Master Panorama

[Sydney] On the occasion of the Vegetarian Food Fair, many Sydney fellow initiates gathered at Australia's world famous Bondi Beach.

The weather did not look too promising for this outdoor venture as light rain fell while helpers prepared vegetarian food for the barbecue. However, all were in high spirits, anticipating the opportunity to introduce vegetarian food to the local residents and hoping for thousands of visitors to this beautiful and historic tourist spot.

A colorful array of a number of vegetarian organizations -- Friends of the Earth, The Australian Vegan Association, The International Society for Krishna Consciousness, etcetera -- gathered to demonstrate the benefits of vegetarian food. The general aim was to provide a sample of something vegetarian and all groups responded with a myriad of menu items and literature. Thousands of eager tasters were entertained by musicians and speakers, who explained the need for everyone in the world to become vegetarian. The barbecue and desserts served by Quan Yin practitioners were especially popular, and even though a lot of food was prepared it was all sold very quickly.

The organizers provided an area for all the participating organizations to display literature. We also had initiates on hand to answer questions and to introduce the Quan Yin Method to the interested visitors.

[Montreal] For three days the City of Saint Hyacinth hosted the Natural Food Expo. Fellow practitioners in Montreal managed to secure a booth to display books and tapes. Thousands of people attended the Expo, and many people stopped at the Supreme Master Ching Hai booth to watch videotapes and to inquire about the Quan Yin Method and Master Herself. They were surprised to know there is an organization in town that distributes free sample booklets and magazines. During the course of that three days, Master's lecture tapes were played. Even the owners of neighboring booths watched Master's videotapes and took an interest in Her pictures. Every copy of the French sample booklet and magazine was taken.

One of the Expo organizer's staff purchased one of Master's videotapes then returned to the booth and happily chatted with fellow practitioners open-mindedly and joyfully, all the while praising Master.

On the Sunday of the Expo the public were invited to a video presentation about the Quan Yin Method. After the group discussion, many local people registered to learn the Convenient Method. Master's teachings had been successfully spread to the people of this French-speaking city.

The week following the Expo, fellow practitioners from the Montreal and Sherbrooke Centers organized a public meeting to introduce the Quan Yin Method by showing Masters taped lectures. Many local guests received free magazines and sample booklets. Some registered to learn the Convenient Method of meditation.

The Sherbrooke Center is still quite young, so naturally local practitioners were delighted when a report about Master was published by the Sherbrooke Journal with a very warm introduction.

Fellow practitioners in Montreal also went to Quebec City to spread the news about the Quan Yin Method. After listening to Master's taped lecture, many guests registered to learn the Convenient Method and to receive free sample booklets as well as magazines in French. Master's teachings had reached the people of Quebec.¡¹

[Vienna] In Vienna, where rents are expensive, our fellow initiates here have dreamed for years of an independent group meditation Center. And in the middle of last year, our dream came true. Through God's loving arrangement, we purchased a Center for a very good price in a convenient location.

All the things that the Center needed were voluntarily contributed or made by fellow initiates. The fellow initiates who were skilled in carpentry made a clothes stand, shoe cabinet, bookshelves, etcetera, through their own initiatives. Master's publications are displayed in the brand new bookshelves, which emit a happy radiance. Besides putting up a picture of Master that was taken when She visited Vienna and a letter in Master's own handwriting, the new Center also displays Her painting, "The New Era," which is a symbol of our new beginning.

The renovations did not affect our group meditation and monthly one-day retreats. The Center's library has collected more and more of Master's books, audiotapes and videotapes. Borrowing, returning, and circulation of library items is all self-service. We expect that over time we will improve the Center in all respects, thus allowing it to completely perform all its functions smoothly.

It has been very cold this winter, especially in the beginning when we had a sudden, unexpected arrival of a cold current from Siberian. More than one hundred people froze to death in Europe within only a few days. On one icy, rainy evening, fellow initiates prepared sandwiches, hot coffee, hot tea, fruits and chocolates and went to every major subway station to convey Master's care for the homeless. Among the homeless that the Vienna fellow initiates found, some were old and weak, some were alcoholics, some were mentally disturbed, and some were young and strong but homeless because they could not get jobs.

In a telephone booth at the Karlsplatz subway station, fellow initiates found a homeless woman, who obviously looked distraught. Her clothes were sloppy and she spoke incoherently. When she received the food and a hot drink from us, she was moved and kept expressing her gratitude. A sister initiate wanted to take off her own coat and give it to the woman, but the woman refused to accept it, saying that the sister initiate also needed the coat for the cold weather. We truly believe that her soul could feel Master's loving power.

While greeting and talking to our fellow initiates, another middle aged homeless person even shed tears. We gave him a copy of the sample booklet. Looking at Master's picture, he could not stop crying.

In the Franz-Josef-Bahnhof subway station, we met a group of homeless people. When they received the vegetarian food and hot drinks from us, they happily said, "You must be children of Jesus Christ!"

After this loving activity, the fellow initiates continue to give clothing, sleeping bags, boots, etcetera, to the homeless in need, and these gifts that symbolize God's love have all been delivered to them personally.¡¹

[Sacramento, CA] Fellow practitioners in Sacramento City celebrated the lunar New Year in a meaningful way by participating in a holiday fair hosted by the local Au Lac community. The event's attractions included carnival rides, games, a bandstand playing popular songs in Au Lac and English, as well as food and information on local public organizations. Even with so many things to enjoy, many people found it worthwhile to stop at the Quan Yin Method display and think of spiritual matters.

The people of Sacramento are very friendly and open-minded, so fellow practitioners found it easy to share with them all the information they had available. Sample booklets were available in Au Lac language, English, Chinese, Spanish, German and Thai. On the second day of the fair, some people returned to our booth to have another look. The children were especially fascinated by Master's colorful photos. They often lingered to look at Her pictures and enjoyed trying on the necklaces and pendants.

Time passes by so quickly whenever one is concentrated on spreading Master's teachings, and fellow practitioners working at our display booth experienced this first hand. Before anyone realized, it began to get dark. As fellow practitioners packed up to leave, they had the satisfaction of knowing many people had received Master's words and blessings that are undoubtedly the most lasting souvenir.