Panorama Of Events

Master answered questions from disciples over the telephone.

From the outside, it was hard to imagine that a common-looking apartment building in the suburbs of Singapore was the site where more that one hundred local initiates convened for a 3-day retreat from October 17th to 19th. Eager to have a retreat to improve their spiritual cultivation, yet unable to secure a better venue due to the increased demand resulting from the three-day lunar holiday period, fellow initiates were forced to settle for a resort run by the National Trade Union. One unique aspect of this retreat was that initiates were allowed to bring along their children. A special corner of the premises was reserved for them and parents took turns looking after the kids and joining the meditation sessions. Therefore, many parent initiates who normally would be excluded were provided an opportunity to join the retreat. Located near the main road, noisy disturbances were inevitable. However, these experiences also provided good lessons for initiates to learn how to overcome outer irritations through inner tranquillity.

Since there was no garden or open area on the premises, activities apart from meditation were very limited; the only exception was the kid's corner, which was full of life and colorful events. Master did not forget the group of big children meditating diligently and piously in a quest for world peace, inner wisdom, and eternal liberation. On the second day of the Retreat, Master telephoned and talked to everyone through a loudspeaker. During this cheerful conversation, Master praised and encouraged the disciples for their diligence. She said that She was living alone and had to do everything for Herself, but that this also was a new experience for Her. On the lighter side, Master recommended that the disciples see a good movie, "Holy Man".

When She invited the disciples to ask questions, only one sister spoke out, while the rest shyly remained silent. To break the silence, Master said: "Perhaps their questions are too big to be asked!" This seemingly casual remark pinpointed what was hidden deep within the minds of the initiates. Who can know the disciples better than the Master? Several brother initiates then gathered their courage and presented to Master their not-so-small problems that were satisfactorily resolved by Master's words of love and wisdom. Everyone was extremely touched when Master, before ending the telephone conversation, asked them to close their eyes and let Her bless them in silence. It is not difficult to imagine how blissful we were in the meditation that followed. Upon concluding the retreat on the third day, everyone unanimously agreed that they had benefited tremendously, and that similar events should be held more often. Toward sunset, everyone, adults and children alike, went home with blessed souls and blessed food.

Activities For Children
At The Retreat

Little initiates and their artworks created during the retreat.

Children ranging in age from four to eleven years went with their parents to the three-day retreat. To make the occasion equally beneficial to the children, two arts and crafts sessions were arranged during the retreat. Based on their age, the children were divided into two groups. At the first session, the younger group was encouraged to draw freely without any limit in concept and the results were many fantastic pictures. They were encouraged to entitle their works with names like "Aircraft," "Mountains," "Cloudy Days," and so on. In the eyes of the children, "cloudy days" did not reflect the usual gloomy tone; instead, the clouds they drew looked like radiant and vibrant petals beneath the sun. In "Mountains," the artist depicted a huge black mountain standing between two pink peaks, and one of the peaks was upside down! Our talented young painter said that the upside down peak was a dripping limestone (stalactite).

The older group engaged in plaster molding, and their finished works in the shape of objects like a pie, a spaceship, a snake pit, and crabs were displayed on paper plates. During the second session, the younger group members were invited to portray their hands and feet, and the end result was hands and feet of various colors against different backgrounds. The older group did paper cutting and drawing. All the works were posted on the walls and tables.

The children's parents along with the Quan Yin messenger were invited to view their gallery, and prizes were to be awarded for the best works. There was even a "reporter" taking photographs of the grand event! The little artists were encouraged to interpret their works, as all artists have their own ideas and meanings behind their works. Since all the works were beautiful and perfect, it seemed inappropriate to determine any winners. Therefore, everyone was a winner in this art competition, and prizes were awarded in a more exciting way, decided by a "scissors-paper-stone" game among the competitors. The joy and laughter of the children clearly indicated that they would also look forward to another retreat just as much as would their parents.