Silent Retreats Enhance Spirituality

After experiencing the benefits of the Christmas 2002 silent retreat with Master in Florida, Oregon Center disciples began holding monthly one-day silent retreats in January 2003. Owing to the positive energy generated by these events, the Center’s atmosphere has become extremely tranquil, with many disciples commenting that concentration is much easier since the practice of silence began.

Master’s Cable TV Programs Bear Abundant Fruit

The Oregon Center currently broadcasts Master’s video lectures on four local TV stations, and especially since August 2003, the Center has been receiving an increasing number of phone calls from viewers. What is even more surprising is that approximately eighty percent of the callers request initiation! Local initiates believe that this transformation is due to Master’s boundless grace and elevation of the Earth’s consciousness, which have inspired more and more souls to seek the ultimate path to enlightenment.

Oregon’s Most Successful Video Seminar Ever

In the past, Oregon initiates usually held seminars featuring Master’s videos in Portland, the largest city in the state and home to the most disciples. On December 14, 2003, however, a seminar was conducted at the City Library of Corvallis, a small, peaceful town nestled in the Willamette River Valley south of Portland. Interestingly, the Corvallis event turned out to be the one that attracted the largest audience and the highest percentage (70%) to learn the Convenient Method of any seminar ever held in Oregon. Thus the Portland practitioners could not help feeling fortunate to be involved in such joyful and meaningful work.

Bringing the Message of Liberation to a Local Jail

Since September 2002, Oregon initiates have been visiting Portland’s Clackamas County Jail on a monthly basis. The brothers take a laptop computer and a projector to the Jail and play Master’s DVDs for the inmates for about an hour in a designated room, and then those who are interested are invited to stay afterwards for a Convenient Method transmission session. Later, many of the inmates who learn the Convenient form of practice report having wonderful spiritual experiences.

The initiated youngsters also enthusiastically join in the serving work.

Happily Serving Others during the Holiday Season

For many years Oregon fellow initiates have been providing assistance to the homeless during the holidays. And due to the economic recession and high unemployment levels, in 2003, a greater need for help in local shelters and other homeless services became evident; so our support also increased. On three occasions during the months of November and December, the Oregon Center delivered approximately 750 meals to homeless shelters, and on the Saturday before Christmas, 450 meals were served. Besides, the initiates distributed gifts and also served dessert with cake and fortune cookies containing specially made messages printed with Master’s name, aphorisms, and websites. All the recipients were happy to receive the gifts and felt that Master had given them an exclusive message enveloped with Her love inside each cookie.

Initiated brothers and sisters worked side by side with many Convenient Method practitioners on this project. Even children and teenage disciples were very eager to help, with some passing out spoons, and others distributing gifts. In addition, a number of disciples drove all the way from Washington State to help! The joy and satisfaction everyone felt from serving others were the best possible Christmas gifts from God.

The Oregon Center practitioners now look forward to another year of enlightenment, loving atmosphere and selfless service in 2004.

Every holiday season, the Indiana Center holds a Midwest retreat to celebrate Christmas. This year, to commemorate the first “real Christmas,” from December 20 to 21 a two-day group meditation retreat was held along with two entertainment programs. The eager participation of Midwestern brothers and sisters filled with “the real Christmas spirit” made the activity extremely joyful and loving.

While the second day’s entertainment program was under way at the Center, a group of six disciples, including young college students, traveled to the Horizon House shelter in downtown Indianapolis. It was the

first time that members of The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association conducted an official charitable activity at a homeless shelter in Indianapolis. Case Manager Andy Ford, a very open-minded person, warmly greeted the brothers and sisters and welcomed them to return again in the near future to serve vegetarian meals to the homeless. Then the initiates personally distributed over 100 Christmas gift packs to their Horizon House friends at lunch time.

For all the fellow practitioners who took part in the Indiana Center’s various activities during 2003, it has been a fruitful year with regard to spiritual growth. And those who continue to practice under our beloved Supreme Master Ching Hai’s protection and guidance truly feel that Heaven on Earth is now here!

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