Remembering Master’s Grace
on the Moon Festival

Taking advantage of the Moon Festival, when “all sentient beings rejoice at deliverance and all families celebrate reunions,” the fellow practitioners who attended the Hsihu celebration encouraged and reminded each other to devote as much precious time as possible to diligent practice so that they may follow Master to the Other Shore.

A Greeting Card Dedicated to Master
from Her Formosan Disciples

Dearest Master, The crystal clear moon forever illuminates the mundane world While Your immense Divine Love continues to nourish all Through the vast universe of the Nine Worlds. And as the holiday approaches, We wish You a wonderful Moon Festival, Happy and healthy! May the moon bring our love to dearest Master... Your faithful Formosan children September 2, 2005

The 2005 Taipei Family Vacation School—
Learning about the World
through Mother Nature

By the Taipei News Group (Originally in Chinese)

[Taipei] On August 3 and 4, 2005, many young local initiates and their parents participated in an activity entitled “Vacation School—Innovative Learning through Travel,” during which they had the chance to enjoy Formosa’s awesome natural environment. The event was sponsored by Taipei’s Love Ocean Arts Center and held at Pinglin Township’s Taipei County Yuguang Elementary School, which is nestled in a rich regional ecosystem of beautiful mountains and flowing rivers.

Desiring to share God’s exquisite creation with others, School principal Guo Xiong-jun conceived the activity to bring teachers, students and parents into contact with nature. Together, the participants explored the mysteries of the natural world and realized more profoundly the importance of environmental protection. Pinglin is home to Formosa’s famous Baozhong tea, and while visiting tea plantations to learn about tea farming and brewing, everyone learned more about the process of tea cultivation, the lives of tea farmers and the art of tea drinking.

During the enjoyable, exciting Vacation School, which lasted two days and one night, the participants also had the memorable experience of listening to great nature’s symphony and learning to distinguish the sounds of various birds and frogs. In the cool, refreshing mountain evenings, melodious bird songs accompanied by a slow bass chorus of frogs and the rhythmic chirping of crickets and other insects filled the air like a beautiful, perfectly orchestrated symphony. In another nighttime activity called “Reach for the Stars with Sky Lanterns,” parents, children and teachers alike wrote their innermost wishes to God on paper lanterns and released them into the sky. Then hundreds of eyes shimmering with love gazed at the lanterns as they soared to Heaven and each heart was filled with bliss.

Next a program entitled “Visual Journey” led everyone into the fantastic world of giant phoenix butterflies and erased their fear of caterpillars. By studying the metamorphosis of caterpillars into beautiful winged creatures, the children witnessed the ingenious ways in which God creates living beings. Through this activity the youngsters also learned to appreciate and respect creation with broader minds.

The School’s last event was a five-kilometer hike through the forest, after which each participant received a “Certificate of Learning through Travel.” During the Vacation School, Typhoon Matsa hit Formosa, but no one complained. Instead, the children enjoyed the rare experience of “building faith through rain and storm!”

The two-day Vacation School activity ended all too soon, and upon its completion the participants were grateful for the well-planned guidance of the Yuguang Elementary School teachers, who had led the initiates into the embrace of Mother Nature and taught them to explore many new phenomena in their lives. School Superintendent Wang made the following special comment about the participants: “Through this activity, I found that you are a very special group. You are always positive and delightful in facing everything. Although there were some flaws in our arrangements, you were always forgiving, for which I’m grateful.”

Since the event, joyous laughter continues to reverberate in the streams and valleys around Yuguang Elementary School, and the enchanting singing of Formosan blue magpies and Muller’s barbets still echoes in everyone’s ears. The gurgling of pristine streams has also purified the minds of the fellow practitioners, all of whom, young and old, have declared enthusiastically: “We’ll be back next year!”

Soaring High in Summer—
Welcoming New Collegiate Initiates
in Northern Formosa

By the Taipei News Group (Originally in Chinese)

[Taipei] The fall 2005 semester began with an air of fresh vitality as a group of newcomers joined fellow initiates already attending colleges and universities in northern Formosa. The Taipei Center’s Ocean Love Arts Center welcomed the freshmen during a two-day orientation event at the Taipei County Fushan Elementary School in Wulai.

Besides three stimulating meditation sessions each day and vegetarian delicacies prepared by the kitchen team that nourished participants’ bodies, minds and souls, local disciples prepared many interesting group activities for the event. For example, in a “mood-sharing” session, the initiates discussed the problems and stresses encountered in their studies and daily lives as well as sweet memories of happy times with Master. A common feeling was that the almighty love of Master has drawn all practitioners together, with brother- and sister-initiates being dearest siblings and the Quan Yin family like a clan of happy deities. Also, the optimism of this group of Quan Yin students was amply displayed at a dance, during which they moved with the dynamism of happy youth.

During the joyful two-day activity in Wulai, the participants learned and matured both spiritually and emotionally as their faith in walking the Quan Yin path grew stronger. Through Master’s grace and the love of their fellow practitioners, this group of vibrant newcomers will hopefully grow increasingly strong in body, mind and spirit so as to become the future mainstay of society and the world.

A New Meditation Hall Induced
by Master’s Love

By the Hsinchu New Group (Originally in Chinese)

[Hsinchu] Inspired by Master’s recent precious lectures, during July and August 2005 Hsinchu Center initiates enlarged the meditation room of the Follow Me Publications Circulation Center in their city’s downtown area. By remodeling the building’s second story, the main meditation hall’s capacity was increased from about twelve to eighty. Moreover, about twelve people can now also meditate in each of three new smaller rooms and a fully-equipped video room. Thus the expansion allows the practitioners to enjoy more wonderful sessions of group meditation. In addition, extra large copies of Master’s latest photos and reproductions of Her paintings were put up in the main hall, which also features a hundred-inch TV screen for showing Her lecture videos. The expanded facility also has room for exhibiting Master’s Celestial Clothes, conducting workshops and other activities.

On August 19, 2005, the Hsinchu Center held a small reception for local initiates and their guests to celebrate the completion of the expansion project. Now, besides the Center’s regular Wednesday group meditation sessions at a rented venue in Jhubei and Sunday group meditation at the Hsihu Center, the initiates can meditate together during the week at the Follow Me Center, and on Fridays the facility is even open for overnight meditation, with Convenient Method sessions being held on Thursdays.

Through these efforts the practitioners of Hsinchu are now able to devote more time to spiritual practice in Golden Year Two and beyond.