By brother initiate Sam, Formosa

The 1999 international retreat in Cape Town, South Africa was my first experience of an overseas retreat, and an unforgettable event in my life.

The quiet and serene campsite, the bright blue sky, the tender ocean breezes, and the atmosphere of courtesy, harmony, and intermittent laughter among the participants made me wonder if I were in Heaven. It was the first time I went abroad and felt so close to Master since being discharged from military service.

But the most interesting aspect of the retreat was the fact that just one week earlier I had had an accident on my way home from group meditation at our center. A speeding motorbike driven by a student in the wrong direction hit my motorbike head-on. A bone in my left toe was fractured, and the pain was unbearable. I almost decided not to attend the retreat, but found courage in this counsel from a fellow initiate: "Trivial or vital, it is a matter of perception." I knew that these solemn words calmly spoken were an indirect message from Master.

In the few days after my accident, I trained myself not to succumb to the pain or let it affect by daily life. I insisted on doing everything myself because I did not want to become a burden to others during the retreat. Miraculously, four days after the accident, I could walk without a cane! During the retreat in South Africa, I could walk without assistance, and even moved about to help decorate the campsite. Soon after the retreat, my toe healed and I could walk normally. Thus, the retreat in South Africa not only let me experience paradise on earth, but also helped me surpass and overcome the limitations of the physical body!