International Reports
Report From
Hsihu Center, Formosa
Great Spiritual Achievements From The International 3-day Retreat
In the increasingly hot summer season, the longing of fellow initiates for the sweet nectar of the heavenly kingdom also becomes more intense. Perceiving Her children's sincere prayers, the great Mother of the Quan Yin family, our revered Master, had especially allowed a 3-day international retreat to be held at Hsihu Center. The good news was immediately disseminated throughout the world.
The enthusiastic and rapid responses from various places had all of a sudden turned tranquil Hsihu into a place of great excitement. Everyone began busily preparing to welcome the brothers and sisters from various countries. The joyful atmosphere permeated each and every corner of the Center!
The most significant aspect of this 3-day international retreat was the strict selection process; only those who had been actively attending group meditations, and who clearly observed the five precepts were allowed to participate. Therefore, fellow initiates who were allowed to take part came with vigilant minds and were more appreciative of the opportunity given to them.
During this 3-day retreat previously followed schedules had also been largely modified. Because of the hot summer sun, Master had considerately modified the 3-day retreat schedule as follows: Meditation hours were scheduled in the early morning and evening. During the midday heat, fellow initiates could leisurely take a shower, or have a nap in the shade, Master's talks and lectures were scheduled in the late afternoon and at night. Each meditation session was increased to three hours; breaks and bathing hours in the afternoon were also extended and included interludes of Master's talks and lectures. Fellow initiates wrote down the retreat schedule and rules while their bodies and minds prepared for a sharpening of the awareness!
During the retreat, Master intermittently appeared at the forest meditation hall to inspect the group meditation conditions or to give impromptu talks. Master noticed that, even after many years of practice, some fellow initiates were stuck at a certain point and were making little progress in their practice. Therefore, Master did not hesitate to set aside the image of a compassionate mother and used a sterner demeanour to advise and encourage initiates. Her words of wisdom pointed out various shortcomings and She urged practitioners to become deeply introspective. Fellow practitioners immediately concentrated and searched inward. At the same time they felt Master's blessings and Her profound love behind sternness. This allowed everyone to improve in their spiritual practice!
For example, Master reminded fellow practitioners not to neglect common sense in their daily lives. She said that we should be more attentive to aspects such as manners, and that we should not use spiritual practice an excuse to ignore small matters. Spiritual practitioners, Master said, should be most filial to their parents, and must be courteous to their fellow brothers and sisters. Master also reminded everyone that from then onwards, when fellow initiates meet each other, they should greet each other with closed palms, so as to show caring and respectful thoughts. When addressing our elders, we must use "sir" or "madam". We must also be gentle in speech; this, Master said, will make others feel very comfortable and respected. Master added, however, that this must be true joyful respect from within, not simply external pretentious gestures.
Master also repeatedly reminded the fellow practitioners of the fact that they were able to come here to meditate diligently due to the sacrifices made by their family members, staying behind to take care of their families. Therefore, practitioners should be diligent in meditating because it was the only way that they could repay the kindness of their family members.
After the completion of the world S.M. Celestial Fashion Shows, Master took a trip to the beautiful beaches of Cote d'Azur in southern France. She was very much impressed by the cleanliness of the streets and city's general appearance. Master said no litter was seen in the city. It was as clean as in heaven.
Master humorously suggested that the Formosan Government should promote the cultivation of good habits via the mass media because Formosa possesses abundant natural resources as well as dense forests. Master thought it a pity that environmental protection still had not been implemented thoroughly throughout the country. If necessary, Master suggested, Formosa could even copy Singapore's "Garden of Asia" theme and introduce strict fines for environmental violations. In this way, the general public would surely be able to correct their bad habits within a month, and the original beauty of Formosa " the Paradise Island " would be restored! No doubt this would even attract more foreign investment and hence, Formosa would be further developed and her international position would also be enhanced.
With God's care and love, an intermittent cool breeze dispelled the summer heat, while the hot sun was rendered powerless by a thick covering of clouds! Time passed swiftly as three days of diligent practice came to an end.
The foreign initiates were the most fortunate of all. They were granted special permission by Master to stay till mid-July as long as they had permission from their families and jobs.
For those fellow practitioners who could not stay longer, they carried home with them Master's best wishes, and loving advice, which was to make use of the wisdom accumulated over the past three days to continue serving their home and countries!
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Formosa