Feature Reports - Accompanying God's Children for Growth

Love from Master and Family
During the Years of My Growing Up

By sister initiate Ma, Taipei, Formosa (Originally in Chinese)

Watching Master's discourses on parental companionship for teenage children reminded me of the restlessness and perplexity that distressed me, similar to any teenager, during adolescence. However, deep in my heart I perceived the presence of a reliable lasting force from Mommy Master and my family.

As a primary school student that had not yet been initiated, I often saw Master driving around Hsihu Center, greeting fellow initiates of all ages. It is hard to forget the colorful stuffed dolls and candy dangling from Master's car. Occasionally Master would surprise the children by throwing to them dolls and candy they were longing for. At other times, She would give them a ride in Her car. Those enviable scenes remain vivid in my heart even today.

When I was in second grade, mom arranged for me to receive half-initiation on December 31, 1995. Less than two months later, dad also received initiation on February 11, 1996. Since then, our family has lived in happiness blessed with spiritual cultivation. Together we watch Master's video lectures and study Her teachings. My parents have always explained to me the importance of meditation to foster my faith in the Quan Yin Method. In primary school, I felt out of place among my schoolmates because of a difference in our diets, and this was hard for me to endure. However, mom would cite Master's teachings to help me understand the importance of a vegetarian diet. Gradually I would tell my schoolmates the benefit of vegetarianism, and broke through the barrier between my peers and me.

I am very grateful to mom for meditating with me each day to help me develop the good habit of daily meditation. She often took me to group meditation, and dad would take us all to Hsihu every Sunday. When it was time for the young initiates to meditate together, I would, at dad’s bidding, happily carry my cushion and join my good friends in meditation in the Bamboo Grove. As I recall now, that was really the most beautiful and precious time during my years of growing up. During the noon lecture session, my parents and I would sit together in front of the television listening to Master's discourse. We would then share our thoughts. Each time after such an intense exchange, I often felt that my mind had cleared up and I could see things better. For over a decade, on every Sunday that the Hsihu Center is opened, the bank of the Nectar River has been the favorite spot for my parents and I to share our feelings and discuss Master's teachings.

As time goes by, we have grown up within the Quan Yin family and enjoyed happy days under the blessing of Master's love. In my final year in high school, I was under immense pressure, studying for the joint university entrance examinations and deciding which university and department to select. There seemed to be endless examinations to take and endless books to study. During those barely endurable days, I would always think of Master and place myself in Her hands, and then I would feel better at heart. As studies took up more and more of my time, it meant less time for group meditation, and when I meditated at the Center, I often fell asleep immediately. I was ashamed, but mom did not reproach me though she knew it all. Instead, she kept reminding me to do my best and that Master would understand. She said that sincerity is what counts for my spiritual practice and my study.

Students in the final year of both junior and senior high schools often feel helpless and agitated about the impending joint entrance examinations. For them, their parents’ encouragement and company are very important. If all parents could be like mine in both daily life and spiritual cultivation, supporting their children with love and encouragement, and listening with the heart instead of just scolding them, the children would definitely be more inspired to do well.

Master's words are very true that the best parents are those who are good friends of their children. In my heart, my parents not only brought me to this earth and brought me up, but are my dearest bosom friends and soul mates on my spiritual path. It is because of them that I have become a member of the Quan Yin family. On the spiritual path, apart from Master's guidance and teachings, my mom and dad are torchbearers who are always ready to light up my path, so that I can stay away from thorny bushes and worldly temptations and enjoy a smooth journey back "Home".

 

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