Panorama
of Events
An Uplifting Quan Yin Meditation Camp
for Teachers
By the Busan News Group (Originally in Korean)
[Busan]
During the school vacation period in Korea,
teachers have the opportunity to attend training programs in the subject
area of their choice. And since the Busan Center has many members
who are teachers, the local initiates decided to hold a summer camp
on the topic of meditation for non-initiate educators.
The camp was the first of its kind for the Busan practitioners, and they did their best to meticulously coordinate each detail of the program, sending letters of invitation to kindergartens and elementary, middle and high schools around Busan City.
Then from July 17-18, 2005, the Quan Yin Meditation Camp for Teachers was held at the Ocean Youth Training Center near Songjeong Beach. Being spacious and convenient and having pleasant, relaxing ocean views through large windows in its meditation hall, the venue was ideal for conducting a mini meditation retreat.
On the first day of the Camp, after a welcoming and introduction session, the program began with a yoga class taught by a sister who is a professional yoga trainer. The class’ stretching exercises helped warm up the atmosphere and encouraged a casual mood among the participants.
Then at dinnertime everyone was treated to a delicious meal supplied by the Busan Center’s vegetarian restaurant. After dinner, a video lecture on the importance of vegetarianism and the spirit of love inherent in the vegetarian lifestyle was shown, followed by a presentation of Master’s lecture The Mystery of the World Beyond delivered at the United Nations in 1992. During the video presentations most of the teachers watched attentively and eagerly expressed interest in learning the Convenient Method so a CM instruction session was held afterwards.
Then tea was served and the participants had the chance to ask questions. In addition, an initiated professor of engineering explained how the physical world is composed of waves, elaborating on the scientific evidence for wave energy as the foundation of the universe. As one can imagine, with a group of learned teachers this fascinating talk continued until midnight.
The next morning, everyone took a brisk walk along the nearby beach, enjoyed a breakfast of refreshing lotus seed soup, took part in another yoga session to limber up, watched one of Master’s videotapes and then participated in a Convenient Method group meditation session.
Next, at 1:00 PM the restaurant staff served a vegetarian buffet featuring an abundance of well-presented and delicious foods. The participants were greatly surprised, touched and grateful for the sincere effort put into the meal, with one teacher expressing her gratitude to the initiates with deep emotion. The buffet signaled the end of the program, but the participants were reluctant to leave so the practitioners stayed and spent more time with them.
Preparing the Quan Yin Meditation Camp for Teachers
presented a new challenge for the Busan initiates, but through their
united efforts and Master’s grace the project proceeded smoothly
and successfully. The brothers and sisters felt greatly encouraged
by the outcome of this new effort and plan to conduct more such events
to spread information about vegetarianism and the Quan Yin Method
to teachers, along with similar programs for other occupational groups.
Eat Vegetarian in the Summer—
Stay Healthy and Cool
By the Seoul News Group (Originally in Korean)
[Seoul]
Korea normally experiences at least three days
of extreme heat during the summer, usually at the beginning, middle
and end of the season. And on these excessively hot days many Koreans
consume highly nutritious “special” foods to combat the
high temperatures, such as ginseng chicken broth and for some, even
dog meat. So, regrettably, at these times many animals’ lives
are sacrificed.
Sunday, August 14, 2005 was such an exceptionally hot day in the country so animal protection and vegetarian organizations carried out a joint campaign to protect animals’ lives in Myung Dong, central Seoul. The theme of the activity was “Well-being day—Get nutrition from vegetables and soy protein.” Members of The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association from the Seoul Center participated in the event and the Center’s SM Vegetarian Buffet provided many free vegetarian meals made of soy-protein products, surprising participants from other groups who were touched by the initiates’ dedication in sharing the nutritious food free of charge.
During the project, the sisters and brothers engaged in activities such as dispensing vegetarian food, collecting signatures for a petition to prevent the eating of dog meat, and distributing flyers with information on animal abuse prevention.
The campaign attracted many people who savored the specially prepared food and were surprised at the wide variety and diverse tastes of the soy-based meat alternatives. While enjoying their meals, the guests applauded the aim and significance of the event, praised the fine replacements for animal meats and willingly signed the petition.
The organization CARE (Coexistence of Animal Rights on Earth) was the event’s main participant and its members decided to eat only vegetarian food for the entire day. “It was just ‘one-day vegetarianism’ for our members but it was meaningful because it can lead to more vegetarian days for them in the future,” said CARE’s president Ms. Park So-Youn. She then added, “People eat meat in hot weather to stay healthy, but being truly healthy can only be accomplished when no lives are sacrificed, and we can do that.”
In the past Korean animal protection groups
had held forceful demonstrations against animal abuse and consumption
but this time they promoted their strong beliefs in a positive, peaceful
manner using such means as advertising and presenting information
on vegetarianism to the public, and naturally the outcome was highly
successful.
Reaching out to Satisfy Others’ Great Spiritual Yearning
By the Busan and Daegu News Groups (Originally in Korean)
[Gyeongju]
Gyeongju, one of Korea’s most beautiful
cities, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. The calm,
graceful atmosphere of ancient times still permeates the city, inspiring
its open-minded, sincere residents to seek a spiritual way of life.
Thus, on September 11, 2005 fellow initiates from Korea’s southern
regions shared Master’s teachings by conducting a video seminar
at the Gyeongju Cultural Center for Juveniles.
September 11 was a fresh, bright autumn day, and the seminar’s guests were deeply impressed as the initiates presented DVDs of Master’s lecture at the 1999 Parliament of the Worlds Religions and the 1998 concert One World … of peace through music. The audience then watched Master’s video-lecture Life Continues Forever with great attention. Afterwards, the guests discussed their deep spiritual yearning and inquired about finding true enlightenment. The fellow initiates did their best to respond carefully and sincerely to each question and the audience understood. Then many of the sincere Truth seekers in attendance learned the Convenient Method of meditation.
During the event, some guests made strong impressions with the initiates. For instance, one middle-aged woman whose eyes radiated warmth said, “I’ve been looking for the right spiritual method on my own for a long time and feel a strong affinity with Master’s teachings.” The woman then spent a long time carefully acquiring Master’s publications and even encouraged a Buddhist nun at the seminar to follow the Quan Yin path by recommending Master’s books and tapes to her. The nun knew intuitively that she needed to search for the true method, and upon hearing about the video seminar felt an affinity with Master and came to learn more. Also, the sister initiates taking care of Master’s publication at the event noticed that Master’s book I Have Come to Take You Home was most popular among the guests.
After the seminar ended and the initiates were packing up to leave, an elderly lady came to the venue having been mistaken about the seminar times on a promotional poster and thinking that a second lecture would be held in the evening. Thus, she explained, “When I saw Master’s poster at the Gyeongju Train Station I felt a strong affinity with Her. And although it was difficult for me to physically bring myself here I had to come.” Due to her sincerity and eagerness to learn meditation the initiates decided to hold another thirty minute session to teach her the Convenient Method, and with her wish fulfilled the woman felt spiritually contented.
Furthermore, another group of later comers arrived outside the hall just as the elderly woman was learning the CM. This group also thought there would be an evening video-lecture and felt very sorry for missing it so they stayed to ask about the Quan Yin Method.
Sharing Master’s teachings with eager
Truth aspirants as they did at the Gyeongju seminar always provides
the Korean initiates with new chances to serve and to develop spiritually
by gaining a deeper understanding of their real Self. So, the practitioners
hope that they can continue growing and thus better assist more people
in finding true enlightenment.
