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Love
in Action
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Report from Formosa
Lunar New Year
Celebrations in Prison
In order to share the warmth and joy of the Lunar New Year season with local prison inmates, fellow practitioners in Formosa held holiday programs at the Kaohsiung Juvenile Reformatory, Tainan Prison, and Mingte Labor Prison on January 31, followed by a similar activity at the Changhua Juvenile Reformatory on February 7. The initiates cordially took part in the activities, winning high praise for their wonderful performances.
On the morning of January 31, more than a hundred of us arrived at the Kaohsiung Juvenile Reformatory, much to the surprise of the young inmates, who had never seen such a large group come to entertain them. Reformatory superintendent Mr. Huang Chin-te was deeply moved, and presented us with a flag of honor in recognition of the spirit of sacrifice shown by the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association and its members. The activity was highlighted by many wonderful performances by fellow initiates, aged six to seventy, prompting large rounds of enthusiastic applause and laughter from the audience. The love expressed by our members warmed the hearts of the inmates and brought brilliant smiles to their faces.
After a short midday break, we left for Tainan Prison, which is set in a beautiful environment of blossoming flowers, and is known for its strict isolation from the outside world. More than a thousand inmates spent two happy hours with us. Mr. Huang, chief of the Prison's edification section, complimented us for our loving actions and encouraged the inmates to unleash the pent-up feelings in their hearts.
From Tainan Prison, we headed for Mingte Labor Prison, built in an area of flourishing greenery. This heavenly setting spoke of the benevolent rule of the government. The initiates' program, which included singing, dancing, and musical recitals, proved to be an enormous success in bringing the warmth and happiness of the Lunar New Year Festival to the inmates.
Then, on February 7, our fellow practitioners came to the Changhua Reformatory. Much credit for this successful activity goes to the director of the Tainan Great Awakening Society, a Buddhist group in Formosa. During a two-hour presentation, fellow practitioners gave many excellent performances and showed the TV program "A Journey through Aesthetic Realms." We also introduced the Convenient Method, which will help to purify inmates' souls through short daily meditation sessions. After the activity, the new Convenient Method practitioners observed that they felt an intense positive energy during their brief moment of concentration.
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