~By
sister initiate Wang Chi-chun,
Taipei, Formosa
Recently,
I read an article about the Statue of Liberty, and my heart was permeated
by the light of hope. The Statue of Liberty is a symbol of liberty,
equality, and universal love; its infinite radiance penetrates the dark
veil of ignorance and sin to bring new life to people. Its spiritual
significance brings to mind Master and Her growing number of disciples
in America. I have no doubt that the American people, rational and self-confident
by nature, will increasingly recognize the superlative wisdom, peaceful
harmony, and unyielding spirit of Master, who, like the Goddess of Liberty,
guides people lost in the dark sea to a glorious shore.
French
sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi spent ten years chiseling and carving
the Statue of Liberty, whose pronounced classical style brings forth
humankind's reminiscence of its primitive faith. The seven rays of the
statue's crown represent the seven seas and continents of the world.
The torch held high in her right hand is a beacon guiding sea vessels
sailing at night, while the tablet in her left hand reads (in Roman
numerals) "July 4, 1776." Crushed beneath her feet are the
broken chains of tyranny, making it very clear that all shackles on
liberty shall be shattered.
Originally
named as Liberty Enlightening the World, the statue was a gift from
France to America to commemorate the centennial of US independence and
to symbolize the everlasting friendship between the people of the two
nations. This beautiful intent made the statue, right from the beginning,
appear divine yet intimate to most people. Many revered her as the Mother
of Exiles, or in another sense, the Mother of Hope for people suffering
from persecution. New York poetess Emma Lazarus dedicated to her a sonnet
entitled "The New Colossus",
which seems to be an apt portrayal of Master:
Not
like the brazen giant of Greek fame
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame,
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore,
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
[Source:
Emma Lazarus, The Poems of Emma Lazarus, vol. 1 (1889) ]
The
magnanimous spirit of tolerance expressed in this poem gives me a clear
picture of the spirit on which the United States was founded, and how
this new continent later became a paradise attracting millions of immigrants
from around the world. With Her unconditional and divine love and most
compassionate vow to deliver all suffering souls, Master is no doubt
the living Goddess of Liberty!
