We
had already had three days of strong rains throughout the country, that Friday
evening of October 30; the whole capital in which we reside was at high warning.
All of the factories and offices had closed early, and some people didn't
go to work that day at all. In my business I have an employee who is handicapped,
so he lives on site. That evening I asked him to come and stay at my house,
but even though I insisted quite a lot he didn't want to leave. Seeing that
I couldn't convince him, I told him, "Since you insist on staying here, I
will leave you with my Master so that She will take care of you". I put Master's
picture in front of his TV. I spent the whole night praying for him in a long
meditation that lasted until morning.
Late that
night around 9 P.M. I decided to leave my house and go pick him up but all
transportation was paralyzed. I could find no way to do it. At about that
same time, a neighbor near my business went to help him and was able to enter
through the window that connects the shops. But since my employee is a big
man, the only thing he could do was to help him get up onto a metal curtain
located in front of the entrance. He struggled to hang onto a baby cushion,
but when the water rose above his chest, the pressure broke the metal curtain
and swept him out onto the street headed toward the river. After being dragged
for three blocks as he held onto the cushion, a current that was coming from
another direction pushed him toward the middle of a shopping area. There,
on the second level, were three men who threw him a line and saved him.
This tale
was a painful experience. I thank Master from the deepest part of me that
this person didn't lose his life in this tragedy. He already has lived a life
filled with pain from his physical disability and from loneliness. Many of
us have tried to make his life more enjoyable, but it is not easy in a situation
of this nature.
As Master's
disciples, it would be good to reflect upon the arrival of Hurricane Mitch
to my country since it caused great tragedy, pain, and destruction.
I was particularly
affected also by the hurricane, since I had a business in one of the zones
of the capital most strongly affected. I deeply thanked God and my Master
when I thought about the serious damage that other beings had suffered, considering
mine to be infinitesimally small in comparison to what happened to thousands
and thousands of people. Although I also lost my way of earning a living,
I found that I was not affected by the loss. My mind has been calm and in
peace, not like other people who have panicked and cannot accept the situation.
Some people think my peace is because I still have some money saved, but actually,
my great saving is my power of spiritual practice.
I commented
to the Quan Yin messenger that in the beginning of my practice I didn't understand
fully what Master often refers to as the "Master Power" in Her talks. But
little by little through my practice I began to feel the internal and inexplicable
manifestation of this power. It was felt at the critical moment when I was
affected directly by the hurricane.
Love
In Action
Follow-up
Report On Relief Aid For Hurricane Mitch Victims