Quan Yin Family

I n May of last year, God bestowed upon us a "cold and vibrant" four-day retreat in Sydney, Australia. In the freezing cold accompanied by gusty winds and heavy downpours, water leaked into the tents of many fellow initiates, leaving their sleeping bags and clothing all wet. However, the retreat turned out to be a success despite the poor weather, as the participants had many good experiences.

Because of this unforgettable experience, sister initiates Chen and Tsai decided to take along their sleeping bags to the Bangkok retreat, just to be on the safe side. Sister Chen took a big sleeping bag, and sister Tsai, a small one.

The weather in Thailand turned out to be so fine and sunny that the meditation hall became as stiflingly hot as an oven even before noontime. And it was not much cooler in the evening either. The sleeping bags that were regarded as dear darlings in Australia had become an eyesore and a burden here.

A sister initiate from Korea was not expecting her baby for another month. Perhaps the blessing power from the saints during the retreat was so great that the baby could not wait any longer to come into this world to partake in the grand activities prepared by fellow initiates worldwide to celebrate the Fourth Anniversary of Ching Hai Day. The Korean sister initiate was rushed to the hospital and with great ease gave birth on October 25. To everyone's amazement, the "retreat baby" was as transparent as crystal and it never cried.

Very soon the four-day retreat ended on a successful note and fellow initiates packed their belongings, ready to return home. At the airport, sister Chen and sister Tsai ran into the newborn baby and were deeply impressed by its radiant, holy and pure countenance.

As the birth of the baby was totally unexpected, the mother did not have any baby clothes on hand; so she simply wrapped the baby in a piece of Quan Yin cloth. And she herself was still weak from the delivery a few days ago. As well, it seemed that her clothes were not enough to keep her warm in the air-conditioned departure hall of the airport. Sister Chen and sister Tsai could not help smiling from deep down in their hearts. They now understood why they had to carry the two bulky sleeping bags all the way from Formosa to Thailand. The small one, sister Tsai's, was for the baby, while the big one, sister Chen's, was for keeping the mother warm. The sister initiates marveled at Master's wonderful arrangements.¡¹

Y oung initiates are often seen arriving with their parents at group meditation sessions, looking as happy and relaxed as on their way to school. Rarely are people so blessed as these little saints to have this rare opportunity to begin spiritual practice at such a young age.

Master has often said: "Children give parents a chance to develop and exercise their talents as a teacher; the parents have to learn everything!" Yes! To educate them, they must first 'train themselves' to become their own teacher. Here I would like to share with you some of my insights:

Training children to learn from within: For the young initiates, their 30-minute meeting with God is a crucial lesson. They may be restless at times due to physical discomfort or because they have eaten impure food. Perhaps they have spoken untruths because they cannot express themselves well. Maybe they have taken something out of curiosity without the permission of the owner. All these require suitable measures of parental guidance. If this does not help, try reminding them of the beautiful feelings that come when thinking of Master, and encourage them to do their best. Should problems arise, parents and children may meditate together to seek inspiration and practice learning from within. In this way, everyone's computer (mind) will be upgraded continuously. Working makes one more clever: Parents should encourage and give their children opportunities to help with household chores. Children are born game experts and will do the chores as though playing a game. So, "play" with them!

Speak positively: Even when admonishing the children, parents must always remind themselves to speak positively. For instance, instead of saying "shut up," they could say "please keep quiet!" They will be able to convey their "love" better this way.

Magazines are the best storybooks: Small children who have not learnt to read may learn to speak by looking at the pictures, and parents may read to them. (Select jokes or short stories.) The older children can read by themselves or even narrate the stories to their parents. From these jokes and stories, parents can even develop interesting games that both they and their children can play together!

The harmonious atmosphere in the family can affect the children enormously. Parents should learn to relax and always be happy and cheerful like their young ones. In this way, both parents and children will be able to better express their feelings and engage in spiritual exchange, and thereby grow together.

With Master's love and efforts on the part of the adult fellow practitioners, these good seeds will grow into tall, sturdy trees.¡¹