Special Reports On The Spot Interview -- Summarized By Supreme Master Ching Hai News Reporter Shan Yun, Taipei, Formosa
Entering Raising Center Feels So Good!!
Among
the crowds of villagers, a woman was holding a little baby girl. She looked
in anticipation at her countrymen who had received gifts from the distribution
area. After receiving a towel, sarong, blessed food, lunch box and some
fruit that Master had especially prepared for them, she was interviewed.
This woman was about
thirty years old, had a son and a daughter, and was living in a village
three kilometers away. She received a leaflet about the Supreme Master Ching Hai
International Association on the street and knew that the temple would
be opened on the 21st of July. After returning to the village, she also
heard other countrymen talking about it. Very early in the morning, all
four members of her family came here to Raising Center by riding on a
local cart. She said that it was very difficult to get a cart because
all the neighboring countrymen were coming here. Thus, she was late!
This woman was an overseas
Chinese who had followed her husband to Cambodia and had lived here for
years. She made a living by running a grocery shop. Compared to the average
Cambodian person, her living was rather good. However, she regretted that
though being a Chinese, she could not even write her own name as she had
never learned to read or write. She hoped that she could have the chance
to read and write.
Because she was running
the grocery shop, she would received information from all directions everyday.
Since her village was very close to Raising Center, she had heard about
the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association a long time ago. She also
knew that the members of the Association had contributed a lot of manpower
and financial resources to develop this area. In these three to four months,
with the construction going on day and night, it provided many hundred
of jobs opportunities for Cambodians who were living in nearby villages.
On receiving the food supplied by the Raising Center everyday, the neighboring
villagers could have food, a warm home and an income. All were very happy.
Her grocery shop also had more business. She thought that all this was
due to blessings of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas to the Cambodian people,
that the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association members invested and
developed here, providing hope for the villagers.
As today happened to
be the inauguration of the temple, the whole village had come! They included
the elderly, women and children who had heard about this place from their
husbands and sons who had worked here but never had the chance to come.
She commented that for many years, no one dared to come to this abandoned
land. She could not imagined that the feeling upon entering the Raising
Center could be so beautiful and calm. In just three to four months' time,
Supreme Master Ching Hai had converted this abandoned land into such a nice place.
She was very happy and hoped that she could come more often in the future.
She also heard that
Supreme Master Ching Hai is building schools and hospital for the villagers, providing
free services. She felt that Supreme Master Ching Hai has been very good and loving
to them. She plans to send her children here to study. She felt that the
members of the Association are very friendly, and that Supreme Master Ching Hai
is very beautiful and compassionate. She hoped that she could come to
this place again next time. She thanked Supreme Master Ching Hai for everything
that was given to her.
The
Opening Ceremony Of The Raising Center, Cambodia