[Taipei] From February 7 to 12, 2006, the 14th Taipei International Book Exhibition (TIBE) was held at the Taipei World Trade Center (TWTC) attracting a record 440,000 visitors. And as in previous years, The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association Publishing Co., Ltd. (SMCHPC) conducted a booth at the event, its exhibits centering on the theme "Finding the Inner Light—Coloring Our Life."

The Publishing Company’s booth stood out with its unique style highlighted by a huge photograph of Master adorned with fresh flowers and lovely ceramic animal figures to create a radiant, eye-catching arrangement, which many guests and professionals stopped to appreciate and take photographs of. In addition, the fellow practitioners engaged in many innovative activities designed to share Master's teachings and promote a loving, healthy lifestyle. For instance, on the morning of February 9, a group of initiates from universities and colleges around Taipei dressed in lovely animal costumes and paraded back and forth through the TWTC to distribute pamphlets on "Alternative Living" while many innocent children scrambled to hug and take pictures with them. And at the Exhibition’s Theme Square that afternoon, the practitioners held a soul-elevating event that began with a vocal duet entitled "Colors of the Wind" sung by visitor Ms. Zeng Shu-qin, a folk singer, and sister-initiate Wang, an experienced musician and producer. Their performance was followed by a showing of the "One World … of peace through music" concert video and a video of Master's lecture The Hotel Called Life delivered in Fresno, CA, USA in June 2001. Several guests who were practicing other spiritual methods said they immediately felt a surge of loving energy at the venue and were also deeply moved by Master's singing and discourse and later learned the Convenient Method. Then on the afternoon of February 11, renowned artist Mr. David Wu wrote New Year’s couplets related to the dog, the Chinese Zodiac sign for the year 2006, for guests who purchased Master’s publications.

In addition, the SMCHPC’s presence at the Exhibition helped many people with affinity to embark on the path of spiritual practice. For example, a guest named Mr. Yang, who chanted Buddhist scriptures and was keen to find a meditation method, went directly to the event after work. He had watched Master's lectures on the TV program A Journey through Aesthetic Realms and had come to learn the Convenient Method. Then during the CM meditation session, although exhausted after working the whole night, he became charged with such inconceivable energy that he was stunned by the extraordinary power of the Quan Yin path!

Another guest, who learned about the raw-food diet from a French brother-initiate in Thailand, had recently arrived in Formosa to teach English. And while teaching Taipei practitioners how to prepare delicious raw food, he gained a very good impression of The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association and the Quan Yin family. Thus, hoping to further explore Master's teachings, he came to the Exhibition specifically to learn the Convenient Method and told the initiates, “I greatly admire Master's love and care for sentient beings, and think the vegetarian diet is a very important factor in Her teachings.” Having been a vegetarian for several months, he also requested initiation into the Quan Yin Method and so will soon become a full-fledged fellow initiate.

Also, on the afternoon of February 10, a tall, muscular Hinayana monk from Thailand, came to the venue to watch Master's DVD. When he heard that Master had been preaching openly for less than two decades and already had disciples around the world, he was amazed and very impressed. A sister-initiate then told him that one must observe a vegetarian diet and the Five Precepts in order to practice the Quan Yin Method and he replied, “I already keep the Five Precepts but am not a strict vegetarian.” Next, he thought a while and decided to learn the Convenient Method, after which he returned to the booth and told a sister, “During the CM meditation session a few moments ago I saw Master's light form spiritual body wearing a huge green hat, walking quickly toward me, and I could feel the presence of the inner Master.”

Also, at the 2003 TIBE, Madam Farideh Khalatvbaree of Iran’s Shabaviz Publishing Company visited the SMCHPC exhibition booth and learned the Convenient Method. When she returned home, she continued to meditate and practice diligently, blissfully enjoyed constant contact with God and a life of miracles, and so benefited enormously. During the 2006 Exhibition, she again visited the SMCHPC booth, saw Master's "Alternative Living" flyer, and immediately volunteered to translate its message into Iranian for distribution in her country in hopes of transforming her compatriots’ diet.

Then on the last day of the Exhibition, a middle-aged woman from a nearby booth who was a Christian missionary came to the SMCHPC display and said, “I’ve noticed since the beginning of the Exhibition that the Quan Yin group is different.” Then after six days of close observation, she finally asked to learn the Convenient form of meditation on the afternoon of the last day, saying, “I only have God in my heart.” And a sister-initiate told her, "The God in your heart is exactly the same as our God. Supreme Master Ching Hai imparts the Quan Yin Method to people so that they can establish contact with God again." After meditation, the woman could feel the God Power, became curious and wished to know more about the scientific concepts concerning the wisdom eye. Thus the sister gave her Master's book Coloring Our Life so that she could read and share it with people with affinity.

On February 12, the Truth-sharing mission at the Taipei International Book Exhibition concluded amid blissful cheering. During the event more than fifty guests learned the Convenient Method and all had very good experiences. In addition, the fellow practitioners distributed over a hundred thousand “Alternative Living” pamphlets outside the venue during the period of the expo, and after reading their message, many recipients doubled back to help with the distribution or request extra copies for relatives and friends.

Thus, February of Golden Year Three was a month of great spiritual harvest for Taipei as guests and fellow-practitioners alike benefited immensely from their interactions. For the initiates, the greatest reward was the opportunity to guide aspiring souls to a living Master, help them find the way to liberation, and introduce a healthy, compassionate lifestyle to the public.

[Kinmen] From February 12 to 14, 2006, the annual Lantern Festival was held on Kinmen, an island off the coast of Formosa. The Kinmen Center of The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association was again invited by the Kinmen Cultural Affairs Bureau to participate in this grand event, which featured the theme "Divine Light Brightens up the Universe."

The Festival was held at the island's Cultural Museum, a well-preserved historic site. The fellow initiates beautifully decorated the venue with Master’s Longevity Lamps, and as the unique, elegant Lamps were turned on one by one, they created a magnificent lighting effect on Master's paintings, on an array of colorful draperies and on an assortment of bonsai trees displayed by the local Forestry Office. Also, both sides of the Museum’s entrance and eaves were lined with Christmas lights, and the sea of shimmering colors and lights combined with the glow of the Longevity Lamps created a perfect picture of the Heavenly Kingdom! On witnessing the display, the awe-struck staff of the Cultural Museum could not find enough praise for Supreme Master Ching Hai’s magnificence!

Before the Festival’s Lamp Lighting Ceremony, Kinmen County Magistrate Lee Juh-feng and his wife arrived at the venue accompanied by many local officials and walked directly to the Association’s exhibition area, where the Magistrate appreciated each of Master's works and read Her biography in detail. When he came to Master's photograph bearing the message "I Have a Dream" he simply stood motionless and gazed at the picture for a time, and the Director of the Cultural Bureau had to remind him, "We'll be late for the Lamp Lighting Ceremony!" Only then did Magistrate Lee move on reluctantly, saying, "I’ll come back later," after which he shook hands with each fellow initiate and added, "You’ve worked hard! You’ve put in great effort!" Then in his speech during the Lamp Lighting Ceremony, Mr. Lee said, "I am very grateful that so many groups have come to take part in this year's Lantern Festival, especially our good friends from The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association who have come all the way from Formosa. It’s the second year that they have supported this event, and they have exhibited many magnificent and creative works." He next cited Master's aphorism "I Have a Dream," saying, "Just like Supreme Master Ching Hai, I hope our world will have eternal peace with no more killing, and every child can grow up in a safe, harmonious atmosphere." After the Lamp Lighting Ceremony, Magistrate Lee and his wife again graced the Association’s exhibit and took photographs with the initiates. The couple also stopped by the Wishing Tree erected by the practitioners to write the following whole-hearted wishes on a card: "Good health to everyone and safety to every home."

Many other local residents who visited The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association’s exhibit were reluctant to leave and felt deeply touched. "The Longevity Lamps designed by the Supreme Master are the only ones in the world!" one guest exclaimed emotionally. And several others stood before Master's photograph with closed palms, softly repeating "I Have a Dream.” Inlaid with colorful stones and carved in the shape of a lovely tortoise, the Longevity Lamp "Long Life" was an item on display that was especially loved by children and praised by adults.

Another special guest on the first day of the Festival was Ms. Li Jin-zi, Deputy Director of the Kinmen Health Bureau, who was greatly impressed by Master's photograph and painting fans. She watched Master's DVD lecture for a long time, took home a sample booklet and a copy of The News magazine and returned the following day to learn the Convenient Method. In addition, the Director of the Kinmen Health Bureau, Mr. Chen Tian-shun, came with his family and read Master's books attentively for more than an hour while his wife watched Master's DVD with great interest. His daughter especially liked The News magazine, and the initiates gave her several copies. Many other guests told the sisters and brothers that they would love to see Master’s beautiful, meaningful art works every year.

During the Festival, reporters from the United Daily News and Kinmen Daily News as well as the Sanlih, CTI, TVBS and Ming Cheng TV Stations came to the Association’s exhibition area to take photographs, conduct interviews and enquire about the meaning of each Longevity Lamp. After studying Master's teachings, many local residents also asked to learn the Convenient Method or receive initiation into the Quan Yin Method. Moreover, the initiates distributed several thousand of Master’s "Alternative Living" leaflets, which the guests happily accepted, with some eagerly asking for the sample book, copies of The News and advice about the vegetarian diet.

Thus, through the diligent work and loving cooperation of fellow initiates from Formosa, Kinmen and China, the Association’s experience at the 2006 Kinmen Lantern Festival proved to be a great success. And hopefully, as the guests appreciated Master’s Longevity Lamps, the wisdom and light of love within them were also kindled.
 

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Events Date Book To keep pace with the planet’s ongoing spiritual elevation, the local centers of The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association are holding more and more video seminars and other Truth-sharing events worldwide. You are welcome to join in these activities with your friends and relatives. For the latest schedule of our Truth-sharing activities, please visit the following URLs: http://www.godsdirectcontact.org.tw/eng/latest_news/events-datebook.htm