Happy Lunar New Year
—Sharing Master’s Gift with the World

By the Houston News Group

[Houston] On February 2, 2005 the Houston Center of The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association participated in the spectacular Lunar New Year Festival held at The Reliant Center in downtown Houston, which is well-known as the venue for large concerts, special shows and other major attractions. On this occasion, the facility was host to many celebrators of the Chinese New Year, and amazingly, through Master’s grace the unpleasant weather that had been forecast for the day gave way to bright sunshine, changing the sky into a Heavenly blue canopy.

The Center’s booth was brightly decorated, with Master’s name displayed in bold yellow, blue and red letters, and throughout the event the brothers and sisters offered Master’s unconditional love and spiritual guidance by introducing the Quan Yin Method of meditation to visitors. Guests were also able to view Master’s video lectures, read Her literature and ask meaningful questions, allowing the initiates to share their thoughts, experiences and knowledge. In addition, some visitors quietly found an empty area to read Master’s literature, whose beautiful words filled them with great blessings. Interestingly, some of the visitors were already aware of Master Ching Hai and were extremely grateful for Her presence in the world and for the work She has done on behalf of all sentient beings.

The initiates also provided sumptuous vegetarian dishes for the visitors, who said, that the food was healthy, nutritious and extremely tasty.

All the practitioners who worked side by side sharing Master’s gift with the world at the Lunar New Year Festival in Houston felt immense pride and blessings bathe their souls during the event. Moreover, in recognition of Ching Hai Day, the Houston practitioners held a two-day retreat in Master’s honor from February 19 to 20, during which the sisters and brothers prayed and meditated for peace in this challenging period of human history.

A New Year’s Resolution
in the Year of the Rooster

By the Sacramento News Group

[Sacramento] Each year the Aulacese community in Stockton, a small farming community about 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of Sacramento, California welcomes in the Tet (Aulacese New Year) by organizing a festivity for all to enjoy. This year, the Year of the Rooster, the community invited The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association to conduct a booth at the fair held on February 12, 2005 as the organizers were already familiar with the Association through various local Quan Yin TV and radio shows.

Initiates from the Sacramento and San Francisco Centers were pleased to participate in the activity because it gave them a chance to share Master’s teachings with local residents, who could thus reap the spiritual benefits of the Quan Yin Method. The booth attracted numerous visitors, young and old alike, from various ethnic backgrounds, some of whom recognized Master from the TV and radio shows as well as from Her charity work. For instance, one visitor stopped by the booth and expressed his deepest gratitude to Master for Her efforts on behalf of Aulacese refugees, including himself, during Her visit to a refugee camp in the Philippines in the early 1990s.

During the festival, many youngsters came to the booth for gifts offered by the initiates such as candy, red envelopes (traditional Chinese/Aulacese monetary gifts given at the Lunar New Year) and balloons bearing Master’s aphorisms. Interestingly enough, when it was time for the initiates to pack up and leave the fair, young visitors still kept coming to the booth hoping to obtain the left-over balloons that had been used as decorations. It was a cheerful site because they acted as if they already knew Master and felt very much at home.

In addition, on February 12 and 13, 2004, Sacramento initiates participated in another Tet festival in south Sacramento that featured music, lion dances and singing along with many booths, including their own, which introduced Master’s teachings to the public. Many people could not believe that the sisters and brothers were giving away Master’s video and cassette tapes free of charge, and those who stopped by would often take several items such as Master’s magazines, sample booklets and tapes. An especially interesting fact was that quite a few small children seemed mesmerized by the videotape playing at the booth, which featured Master’s poetry.

In a word, most of the guests had a positive impression of the initiates’ activities at both the Stockton and Sacramento Tet festivals. And so the Sacramento and San Francisco practitioners made a New Year’s resolution to participate in the events again nxt year to humbly work as Master’s tools and share Her teachings with people from all walks of life.

 

Greeting the New Year
by Sharing the Holy Teachings

By the San Jose News Group

[San Jose] As in past ten years, in February 2005 initiates from the San Jose Center, USA shared Master’s teachings by conducting a booth at a major Lunar New Year festival organized by the local Aulacese community.

The initiates’ stand, located in a hall visited by thousands of people, featured a large photograph of our beloved Master along with Her beautiful art work, including paintings and Longevity Lamps. One gentleman observing the exhibit admired the Lamps so much that he inquired about acquiring them, and other visitors happily picked up free vegetarian recipes, sample booklets and News magazines.

On a large TV at the booth the initiates continuously showed Master’s DVD lectures with Aulacese subtitles, which a young girl of about three watched with fascination and concentration as her mother enjoyed a complimentary egg-free fortune cookie containing Master’s aphorisms. Several minutes later, when her mother said it was time to go, the young Buddha reluctantly took her eyes off of Master and departed.

Throughout the festival, visitors inquired about meditation, vegetarianism and the Convenient Method, and some said they were familiar with Master’s teachings through The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association’s radio and TV programs broadcast in the local area. In fact, one visitor volunteered, “I listen to Master’s lectures on Her radio program every time it’s aired!”

During the event, visitors were also introduced to the initiates’ new radio website http://www.TrucTiepCauThongThuongDe.net (meaning ‘God’s Direct Contact’ in Aulacese). Besides being the only official website for San Jose radio broadcasts, the new site features text versions of Master’s teachings excerpted from the News magazine and arranged by subject, as well as short video clips, thus enabling visitors to learn more about Master’s teachings through a variety of media.

All during the 2005 Aulacese New Year festival, the San Jose brothers and sisters felt Master’s intense love and blessings so they would like to say, “Thank You Master,” for giving them the chance to share Her holy message and bring spiritual benefits to many of God’s children.

 

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