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Special
Reports
By
brother initiate Anthony Cordova,
Los Angeles, U.S.A. (Originally in English)
 In
a small corner of Europe exists the ancient country of Armenia, a Holy
Land where the Biblical Noah's Ark landed on the summit of Mount Ararat.
It is a beautiful, picturesque country that many consider an open air
museum for its great architectural wonders and treasures. Armenians
have a rich cultural heritage and are a deeply religious people. As
the first country in the world to adopt Christianity as its state religion,
it will soon celebrate its 1700th anniversary. Due to their sincerity
and faith in God, the prayers of the Armenian people were finally answered
with Supreme Master Ching Hai's visit on the auspicious occasion of
Her European lecture tour.
Although Supreme Master
Ching Hai visited Armenia for only two days, May 15 and 16, 1999, She
warmed the country with Her love and compassion, leaving behind many
sweet memories in the hearts of the people. The citizens of Armenia
are filled with gratitude for the great humanitarian work that Master
has done for their country. More importantly, they recognize that Master
has left behind the "Supreme Method" called Quan Yin, which
She offers unconditionally to those who are ready to connect with their
inner Most High or Supreme Self.
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The
visit of Supreme Master Ching Hai to Armenia would not have been
realized if it had not been for the efforts of Nadezdha Sarkisian.
Ms. Sarkisian is a Congresswoman in the National Assembly of the
Republic of Armenia and an internationally acclaimed popular singer
who has worked with other famous artists such as Charles Aznavour
and I. Resnik. She is particularly known throughout Armenia and
Russia.
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| Master
holds a book of photographs of ancient Armenian monuments and buildings
by Mr. Martin Shahbazian, a photographer of the Armenpress. |
Ms.
Sarkisian first learned of Supreme Master Ching Hai through a close
Armenian friend who attended the benefit concert "One World...Of
Peace Through Music" held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles,
California, U.S.A. in December of 1998. Recognizing the invaluable opportunity
of receiving the venerable Supreme Master Ching Hai in her country,
Ms. Sarkisian wasted no time in preparing a letter of invitation for
Master to visit Armenia. Ms. Sarkisian worked meticulously with the
Sharm Company, one of the biggest and most well-known firms in Russia
and Armenia, to make sure that all the details of Master's visit were
taken care of. After over two months of organizing, Ms. Sarkisian was
finally rewarded with the acceptance and arrival of Supreme Master Ching
Hai in Armenia. From Master's lecture to Her meetings with mayors, to
a live broadcast of an interview on Armenian National TV, to an enchanting
evening of music in honor of Master's visit, Ms. Sarkisian did a beautiful
job of receiving Supreme Master Ching Hai in the most befitting manner.
The day Supreme Master Ching
Hai first arrived in Yerevan, the bustling capital of Armenia, She was
welcomed with a shower of rain, purifying the whole city and washing
the stone masonry of the medieval buildings, which have not been touched
by rainfall during the summer season for the past five years.
Lecture
On
the morning of Saturday, May 15, 1999, in front of the most prestigious
hotel in the country, the Hotel Armenia, a crowd of people, including
policemen, bodyguards, members of the press, and the organizers themselves,
waited to greet Master and accompany Her to the lecture hall, the Komitas
House of Chamber Music, the "center of Armenian culture."
At
10:00 am, Supreme Master Ching Hai arrived at the lecture hall in a
white Mercedes Benz with police escorts and bodyguards, all arranged
by the organizers. The members of the media crew who waited for Master
at the lecture site excitedly rushed forward to capture Her arrival.
Children dressed in traditional Armenian costumes attentively stood
in front of the entrance hall and greeted Master as She entered. The
children respectfully bowed to Master, and following the tradition of
welcoming guests to their country, offered bread and flowers as they
escorted Her through the hall onto the stage. More than 1,500 guests
in the hall, some with no chairs to sit in, stood up and applauded cheerfully
as Master walked up to the stage.
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| Supreme Master Ching
Hai embraces the children, who, in traditional Armenian style, welcomed
Her to Her lecture at the Komitas House of Chamber Music. |
During
the lecture, Master shared with the attentive guests Her wisdom about
how to live a happier life by contacting God, and reminded them that
each one has God inside. She said, "Why do we have to undergo so
much unhappiness, so much lack of spiritual wisdom? Why? And sometimes
we pray a lot, and very, very sincerely, but we feel that God does not
answer. Why? I have been shown how to contact God directly, and I have
been ordered by God also to show it to you so that you can communicate
with Hirm directly every day. You can see Hirm, you can hear Hirm, you
can love Hirm, and you can feel loved by Hirm." As one of the newspapers,
the Armenian Business Weekly, said, "...We need this Method (Quan
Yin Method) no less than other people in the world because it makes
us look within ourselves to discover our greatness."
Everyone
was deeply impressed by Supreme Master Ching Hai, not only for Her wisdom
and benevolence but also for Her many artistic talents. The guests,
many of whom were important colleagues of the organizers and the music
hall director, included people from many walks of life, such as doctors,
lawyers, artists, poets, and musicians. At the adjacent art exhibition
hall, they witnessed some of Master's artworks, including paintings,
clothing, jewelry and lanterns. The consensus among the guests was that
Master is definitely an extraordinary woman. Her ingenious creations
unfold but a fraction of Her inner power. The devotion She puts into
bettering the world through love is simply amazing. "She is another
Mother Teresa who embraces and helps everyone regardless of race or
religion," exclaimed one of the attendees. Those who attended the
lecture took with them Master's lecture tapes, CDs, books, and/or entertainment
videos. Also, they received sample booklets and magazines to further
learn about Supreme Master Ching Hai's teachings.
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Ms. Vardue
Khachatrian, a world renowned Armenian opera singer, sings songs
for Master.
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Mr. Sarkis
Nadjarian, a famous television reporter, presenting Supreme Master
Ching Hai with a clock made of Armenia's national stone as a gift
from the Komitas House of Chamber Music.
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Supreme
Master Ching Hai contributing US$30,000 to the Komitas House of
Chamber Music.
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The
lecture ended with a gift from Mr. Robert Sahakian, director of the
Komitas House of Chamber Music, which surprised Supreme Master Ching
Hai and delighted the audience members. From the beginning, Mr. Sahakian
had shown great dedication and pride in helping to organize the lecture
event for Master. He worked continuously without rest until the day
of the lecture. He stated that he would like to do something special
and memorable for Master during Her visit to Armenia, especially at
his music hall. And so, Mr. Sahakian made arrangements for the famous
Armenian opera singer, Ms. Vardue Khachatrian, a recipient of the International
Music Award, to sing two songs, "Ocean of Love" and "Suma
Ching Hai," in dedication to Supreme Master Ching Hai after the
lecture.
Mr. Sahakian particularly
chose the song "Ocean of Love" with lyrics and music by Master,
because he believed it beautifully portrays Her love for humankind.
Accompanied by Svetlana Avetisyan on the hall's grand organ, Ms. Khachatrian's
voice, without microphones, soared high, and Supreme Master Ching Hai's
lyrics resonated throughout the hall. Receiving thunderous applause,
Ms. Khachatrian went on to sing "SUMA CHING HAI" in her operatic
style. (This song was written by the famous Au Lacese composer Andy
Q. Le, and specially dedicated to Supreme Master Ching Hai at the benefit
concert "A Journey Through Aesthetic Realms" held on December
27, 1997 in Washington D.C).
Mr. Sahakian ended the lecture
with another thank you gift to Master, a precious national stone clock
as a token of appreciation for Her visit to his country. The gift was
presented to Master by famous television reporter, Mr. Sarkis Nadjarian.
Touched by the dedication and Mr. Sahakian's sincerity, Master spontaneously
contributed US$30,000 to the hall.
Not expecting such a gift,
Mr. Sahakian was very moved. He profoundly thanked Master for Her generosity
and kindness, stating that the money would go toward renovating the
music hall for the enhancement of future performances. This had always
been his wish, but he had never had the financial budget to do so. Fortunately,
his sincerity and kindness had touched the "Most High," and
he was rewarded. One of his colleagues expressed to him afterwards,
"God has been touched by your sincerity and dedication! That's
why Hes sent you the money through Supreme Master Ching Hai. Hes finally
answered your prayers!" All of the staff members at the music hall
were very touched and grateful to Master.
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