By
Fellow Initiate in Beijing, Mainland China
My
revered and beloved Master Ching Hai,
Greetings
to You, Master! Today is the anniversary of my initiation, and also
the first birthday of my new life. Therefore, I take this opportunity
to send You my greetings for the New Year, and to share with You how
blissful and grateful I have been ever since my initiation and my meeting
You.
I live and work in
Beijing. Two years ago, I had the good fortune to read Your books and
listen to Your tapes. I became absolutely sure that Your words were
the Truth and from God. The links were established, and I was determined
to practice the Quan Yin Method to attain liberation. I switched to
a vegetarian diet and began to meditate in preparation for the initiation.
After submitting the request for initiation, I waited anxiously every
day but no word came for a long time. I heard that my age had exceeded
the limit for initiation, so I became even more anxious and worried.
However, I was not discouraged; I persisted with my meditation and observed
the vegetarian diet, believing that Master would have mercy on me.
One day when I was
meditating with my eyes closed, I suddenly saw very clearly my own face
which later transformed into a circle of light. In the light a saint
appeared and slowly vanished to be replaced by Your face. My heart pounded,
so I opened my eyes and began to think. Finally I realized that it was
merciful message from You: "Your original self is God. If you wish
to become a saint, the only way is to find Supreme Master Ching Hai."
Since I could not
find Her in Beijing, I decided to go to Hong Kong. In Hong Kong, it
was confirmed that I exceeded the age limit for initiation. Not wishing
to miss this chance of a lifetime, I wrote You a letter pouring forth
my longing for initiation. While waiting for the reply, I visited Your
art exhibition where I got another revelation. In one of Your paintings,
on one side You painted a decayed tree with fallen leaves, and on the
other side the earth is painted in vibrant colors. Overwhelmed by emotion,
I discovered tears rolling down my cheeks. I felt that You were telling
me, "The decayed tree and the lively earth are so far apart yet
so close; just take one more step and the tree could be revived. This
painting further strengthened my aspiration for the Truth, so I decided
to write another letter to You requesting initiation. To express my
heartfelt gratitude, I wrote in the Guest Book, "Works of art that
enlighten people." Soon after mailing the second letter, I received
the good news that I could go to the Center for initiation. I was overjoyed.
Two days after the
initiation, I had the blessing to see You in person. When You saw me,
You asked, "Why are you here in Hong Kong?" I replied, "I
am here for the initiation." Master asked further, "Did you
receive the initiation?" I said, "Yes!" The Master said,
"Good! Good!" That was yet another meaningful revelation for
me, telling me that I must practice diligently. I have not let You down;
I have been practicing diligently and will keep at it until eternity.
There is something
else that I wanted to say to You, Master. I am aware that You have taken
my mother, who died several years back, to a higher level after my initiation.
Also, my aunt, who is almost a hundred years old, was left paralyzed
by a stroke two years ago and could not even speak. Ever since she put
Your photo near and listened to the Buddhist Chanting tapes every day,
she soon found she could speak clearly. Recently, one morning after
she had gotten up, washed herself, and eaten her breakfast, she sat
in a chair and passed away peacefully. People say that these two old
folks in my family had great blessings; actually, it was all due to
Your great compassion. Let me once again express my heartfelt gratitude
to You, Master.
At Your Buddha's
feet,
Your respectful disciple 
Letter
Between Master & Disciple
