Report from California, U. S. A.

[Los Angeles] The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association, Los Angeles Center recently participated in the "Entering the New Millennium Golden Dragon Parade" from February 11-13 in the local Chinatown. The activity attracted over 50,000 spectators and tourists of many nationalities.

Fellow practitioners dressed in traditional costumes at this festive activity to serve the thousands of visitors who were fascinated by our exhibition booth and who stopped by to seek further information from us. The booth featured a vast array of Master's publications, exquisite artwork, and inspirational paintings. Many news reporters interviewed us. Among them were those from channel KSC118TV, which broadcast the interview on its special program "Entering the New Millennium Golden Dragon Parade" the following day.

Fellow initiates prepared some new clothes as New Year's gifts for the homeless, who came to join in the celebrations. Toward the end of the event, a homeless man passed by our booth, and fellow practitioners immediately gave him a sample booklet, some vegetarian food, and several articles of clothing. After a cordial conversation, he said with deep emotion, "No one bothers to even look at me. You are the only ones who care."

[Rowland Heights] Two weeks after the Golden Dragon Parade, The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association, Los Angeles Center again participated in the "Chinese Dragon New Year Festival" from February 26-27 in the Los Angeles suburb of Rowland Heights. The two-day program of singing and dance performances, and the many rows of exhibition booths extending as long as great dragons, attracted over 20,000 Americans of Chinese descent and other ethnic origins. Among the exhibition booths lining the alleys, ours was continuously surrounded by large crowds. While some fellow practitioners busily answered visitors' endless spiritual questions, others distributed fliers to the crowd.

One man stood entranced for an hour in front of our booth, watching a videotaped recording of Master's Worldwide S. M. Celestial Clothes Fashion Show. After learning that the clothes had been designed by Master, he exclaimed, "So, Supreme Master Ching Hai is also an artist!" In addition, a female visitor expressed her highest veneration for Master and purchased some of Master's lecture books as gifts for her American friends.

A manager of the sponsoring organization became convinced of the immense power of the Quan Yin Method and came to our booth with his friends to inquire about the benefits of a vegetarian diet and meditation. He started to practice the Convenient Method two days later.

A recent arrival from mainland China also decided to learn the Convenient Method upon realizing that the Quan Yin Method was the ultimate Method she had been seeking for years. That night, she read Master's lecture books until two in the morning and returned the next day to ask if her Catholic relatives could also practice the Method. She was anxious to receive initiation.

A number of visitors returned the following day with spiritual questions. Many left their telephone numbers and addresses, asking to be contacted should Master come to Los Angeles, and signing up to receive the monthly News magazine. "Ordinary people cannot work with the devotion that you do in distributing fliers from morning till night. We will certainly read these sample booklets and magazines when we get home," said the assistant at an adjacent booth. This feeling was shared by other people at nearby booths, who were also deeply touched by the selfless spirit of sacrifice with which fellow practitioners worked under the scorching sun one day and torrential rain the next. They offered us drinks and even jobs at their companies.

The carnival ended on a successful note, despite a slight drizzle. We distributed nearly ten thousand fliers, and visitors requested nearly a thousand sample booklets and magazines. Many people asked to learn the Convenient Method on the spot, and some are anxiously waiting for initiation into the Quan Yin Method. We are truly delighted to welcome these new spiritual friends into our Quan Yin family.

Several thousand people came to learn about Master
at the Los Angeles Lunar New Year celebrations.