Before Dragon Boat Festival, fellow initiates from Taipei Center, following Master’s teachings, launched activities to send love to homeless. They contributed clothes and also conducted body, mind and soul-elevating seminars at Zhonghe Homeless Shelter and Ping An Ju Midway Home in Taipei City. The activities received many positive responses.

Zhong Zheng District Community Services Center

On the morning of May 26, Golden Year 3 (2006), we visited Zhong Zheng Community Services Center under Taipei City Government Social Services Bureau, and contributed to the homeless boxes of men’s summer clothes, towels, band-aids, iodine tincture, kungfu shoes and our News magazines. The gifts were received on behalf of the homeless people by Superintendent Zhou Zhen-ling and social worker Mr. Yang. They were very grateful to the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association for extending their love and care to the homeless for many years. Every time the season changes the homeless friends always enjoy the thoughtful gifts in material comfort and spiritual elevation given by them. Officials from the Social Services Bureau also pointed out that the homeless people loved the kungfu shoes the most because they were soft, light-weight and durable.

Wanhua District Community Service Center

Fellow initiates visited Wanhua District Community Service Center in Taipei City on the afternoon of the same day, and contributed to the homeless boxes of men’s summer clothes, soups, towels, kungfu shoes, our News magazines, etc. The gifts were received by social worker Mr. Zhang Xian-zhong on behalf of the homeless people. Just before the offering ceremony started, a homeless person came to the Community Services Center to take a bath and was in need of clean clothes. Mr. Zhang considerately noticed the need of this person, and immediately found clothes and shoes suitable for him from the boxes we provided. His loving action, like a caring father, deeply touched us.

A Body, Mind and Soul-Elevating Seminar at Zhonghe Homeless Shelter

On May 29, fellow initiates prepared assorted summer clothes, gift packs, blessed gifts, Master’s publications and vegetarian food of more than twenty dishes, and visited Zhonghe Shelter, wanting to share with the homeless a sumptuous and joyous Dragon Boat Festival. During the simple but yet dignified offering ceremony, the Vice Superintendent of Guang Ci Love Home, Mr. Yu Zhi-neng, signed the receipt for the items received and presented a letter of appreciation to the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association. He was very grateful to the Association for providing the inhabitants there with living necessities and loving spiritual comfort for the past many years.

When fellow initiates finished laying out all the vegetarian delicacies, the shelter inhabitants were so stunned by such an abundant and attractive feast that they did not even know where to begin. One male inhabitant was moved to tears because he had never enjoyed such a lavish meal. In the afternoon, fellow initiates ardently started a karaoke session that attracted many inhabitants who sang their hearts out. Even the Superintendent, Mr. Fan, joined in the singing. Afterwards we showed a video of Master’s lecture, which everyone watched and listened to attentively.

Superintendent Fan told us that he believed in God and had never eaten any livestock raised by his family. After watching Master’s video he decided to reduce his meat intake from that day on. He also encouraged everyone there to love and protect the animals in order to cultivate a more compassionate heart. Although the Shelter was not able to provide pure vegetarian meals for the time being, many inhabitants expressed their desire to practice the Convenient Method. So fellow initiates provided them with relevant information, and encouraged them to pray to the Master for help so that they could soon start their spiritual practice and attain liberation.

A female inhabitant, Ms. Zhang, has leg problems and suffers great pain whenever she walks. Nevertheless, she earnestly took part in the karaoke session. When singing the song “Where Are You?” she started to sob. She said that Master was the greatest and Her words had touched her deep within, so she just wanted to cry. Because of her special needs, fellow initiates later mailed her some medicinal ointment, clothes and two pairs of kungfu shoes. At the end of our visit, Ms. Zhang begged us not to leave and repeatedly asked us to visit them again. We fully realized that Master’s immense love and compassion had touched their hearts.

The House of Concern and Care for the Homeless

That same day, three volunteer representatives from the Taipei County Volunteers Society and The House of Concern and Care drove to our Taipei Center to accept seven boxes of men’s clothes that we contributed for the homeless people. One of the representatives, Mr. Zeng, said politely that the residents of the House of Concern and Care and the homeless in Taipei County have received support and care from Supreme Master Ching Hai and fellow initiates for a long time. Since the last time fellow initiates visited them and taught them the Convenient Method, everyone has been practicing diligently. (Please refer to News #168 for details.) In order to be self-reliant, they were planning to increase their farm land to grow more vegetables to satisfy the needs of the vegetarian residents who were practicing the Convenient Method. They hoped they could one day be self-sufficient. In gratitude to Master and fellow initiates for their love and care, the three representatives presented a plaque to the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association.

The Labor Bureau Employment Assistance Center

On May 30, the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association visited Taipei City’s Labor Bureau Employment Assistance Center, in order to help the homeless get jobs and to provide them with suitable clothes for the next season. They gave them many items including brand new leisure clothing, tennis shoes, socks, underwear, towels, soups, razors, toothpastes, toothbrushes, etc., to wear for a job interview and at work. The Deputy Supervisor of the Center, Ms. Chen Li-juan, expressed her gratitude to the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association for their thoughtfulness and kindness. She hoped that the support from the Association would give the homeless greater confidence during their interviews and increase their chances of getting employed. She added that this type of support was not merely material, but also love that warmed the hearts of these less fortunate people and the social workers.

A Body, Mind and Soul-Elevating Seminar at the Ping An Ju Midway Home

On May 30, fellow initiates visited Ping An Ju, a midway home for the homeless. A Catholic priest, Father Ma, came out to greet us, and thanked us for our warm concern. We brought with us sumptuous vegetarian meal boxes, vegetarian rice dumplings for the Dragon Boat Festival, fruit dessert gift boxes, candies and cookies, blessed gift bags, red tea and Master’s publications. While enjoying the vegetarian meal, we showed a video of Master’s lecture to the inhabitants. They were all receptive to Master’s teachings, and many of them expressed their desire to learn the Convenient Method. Therefore, we provided them with relevant information, and invited them to visit our Center.

On June 2, two seniors from Ping An Ju, came together to our Center, to learn more about Master’s teachings and the details of the Convenient Method. They saw Master’s beautiful photos and bought many of them. One of them told us that when his body feels better, he will go out to work and keep a vegetarian diet every day. Because the meals in Ping An Ju are ordered from outside by caretakers, they can not have vegetarian food. Maybe God heard their wish and a vegetarian volunteer at their shelter, Mr. Wang, solved their problem. Every day when the food order is placed, they can now order some vegetarian meal boxes. Therefore, the longing of these two seniors and other friends in Ping An Ju who want to learn the Convenient Method can soon be satisfied!

<<	Contents	>>
Refer this page to friends