☆ Struggle Between Heaven And Humanity

The Celestial Clothes were finished in time for the events. Most of the hard work was done by the great Master of devas and humans -- 'our Shih Fu'. It was not easy to transform the inspirations from the Kingdom of God into material manifestations in this world. Master revealed later that She could envision, even while She was designing, how each Celestial garment would eventually look. Nevertheless, She had to overcome many artificially imposed obstacles -- people's egos, arrogance, and preconceived ideas. It was truly difficult to traverse this giant gap between heaven and humanity. To present before our eyes once more this God-bestowed beauty was indeed a rigorous test of patience, courage, and self-confidence. During the impossible dialogue process that lasted two weeks, the tailors objected to each idea, and kept trying to alter Master's designs. Master remarked laughingly, "Without firm and profound inner strength, I would surely have wavered under their chattering."

For the people, Master always silently shoulders misunderstandings and pressures. Only at the long awaited moment when the flower eventually blossoms and yields fruit, do we understand Master's painstaking intent. We then wholeheartedly admire Master's superior wisdom, insight, and selfless way of bestowing Her love!

Master's comments were as follows:

To make all of these clothes is difficult because I make them with thedisciples, and you know what the disciples are like. Huh? Apart from staring intensely at me and forgetting what my instructions are, they have their point of view about what clothes should look like. I told them to cut it a little bit higher above the knees.

They said: No, Master, the legs will come out.

I said: "Haven't you seen any legs before?" (Laughter) I don't sellthese clothes to monks or (laughter) sisters in the monastery, please. I will sell them to the secretaries, to the working women, to the ladies in the society, where they want to look good; but they must be practical at the same time. If you don't split the dress up, they will have a car accident. (Laughter) Yeah! Or they will fall on the street. And are you responsible? And their children must catch the bus on time. How can they run? They forget all about it. They think we can, you know, like the fanatic way. Everyone must cross their legs, cover it up to here, and then meditate. That's all there is. Please, forget it. (Applause) Yeah, that's the trouble with working with disciples.

☆ Sharing True Beauty With The World

After many busy days without Master or disciples getting any rest or sleep, the Celestial Clothes Fashion Show came to a successful end. Master then went to the New York Meditation Center to initiate would-be initiates in person; She also joined the major group meditation the next day. 'Why use such an unusual way -- the Celestial Clothes, to attract and deliver people with affinities?' was the topic that Master chose to elaborate on, thus bestowing great benefit on all the disciples present.

"Many people ask me why I did the fashion show. Of course, because to help the people... because after the fashion show, mostly they donate the money for those needy, you know, like poor and sick, or those who have very incurable diseases, things like that, the neglected people. And that's what we do. I thought: Oh, okay, at least I have something to do it with. Otherwise, I don't want to have a fashion show, or things like that. What for? Even if for the disciples, you know it already. You have seen all my dresses hanging around anyhow. Right? So I have no need to make a fashion show. And for the outside people, they have enough, a lot of clothes to see; so they don't need to see mine.

But since it's for charity, then it's fine. Why not? And besides, we can show it to a lot of people, maybe elevate their sense of appreciation for Truth and beauty. (Applause) It beautifies the people's sense, and that elevates their soul through beauty. Many people in the fashion show came up to us last night, to me, and their mind changed. First, they were not interested in vegetarian, meditation, nothing. Now through the art, they changed. They are interested. (Applause)

So from the pure business point of view, we don't make money. Sometimes we loose money, or maybe just cover it, not including the money we give to the charity. The money for the charity must come from my pocket. Because the way we did it, it will not come out from the fashion show. And probably the audience last night were not all that rich and famous. They were not the ones who buy the clothes to make up my money. But it's not always our purpose to make money. If we can make it, it's all right. If we don't, it's okay. The most important point is to share it with people, the joy of true beauty, the joy of noble living and of self-respect, yeah? The world is already ugly. If we can beautify it in any way, that's okay. (Applause)

☆ The Most Unprofessional Of All The Designers In This World

Our motive sometimes is very, very pure, most of the time, very pure. For example, I didn't even intend to do the fashion show. Just because some of our disciples and our friends are in the fashion business and they think my clothes are more than up to international standards, so they asked me to present them to the world. Once I said "okay," my God! A lot of work to do, I could not imagine. They kept telling me that they are experts, they know everything. And my secretary also said: "Well, I did it before." She did it before. But once I said "okay," I had to do everything.

We fixed everything in one set, ready. So anyone who is a model can just take the whole set and fix herself up without even help. But of course, they do have help. I am the only one who doesn't have help. Each model has one person to fix the clothes for them, fix the shoes for them, fix the hair for them, fix the makeup for them. Each person is different. But anyhow, we fixed everything in one set so they could do it.

But the professionals came without knowing my intention and had different opinions: "Oh, this doesn't go with this..." Therefore, it was a mess on the stage. It was the first day, and so some of our disciples said, "Okay. No, no more professional. We'll do it ourselves."

And I get into more trouble. The first night, we had different people -- all professionals. The second night, we had all different people -- all unprofessionals. And I had to work through all this brain power, all these egos, all these characters, all these personalities, all these differences. So it's not only a blessing that I am here. It's a miracle. Last night so impressed many of the designers in this country; they came and told me. They also want to make a show in Canada soon, and they said they learnt a lot from our show last night. So, for example, many people were very impressed with our work. And I am the most unprofessional of all designers in this world.

☆ The Models Cried!

Originally they called them the 'Paris Angels,' but I changed it to the 'Paris Beauties,' because I was worried the angels would not stay long. But they are so beautiful, they are so stunningly beautiful. And despite all their tiredness, you know different timing and different climate, they really, really offered their best to us.

Models and stars, they are aloof. They are artists or also they become like dull with their job -- what we call professional sickness. They have no individual choice. I am the one who told them: 'You have some individual choice. Apart from some basic requirements from the director, you can pick up some of your own jewelry. You think it's not enough, you fix your own.' I put the whole basket, flowers and things, I said: 'Pick yours. You know what you want. And add some individual touch to your appearance, that you feel more individual, and you feel more inspired from inside. And that's how you represent it better.' Well, they did it last night.

First time I told them, they told me: 'But we are not used to demanding.'

I said, 'Why?'

They said, 'We are used to people telling us what to do.'

I said, 'No, you don't have to do that here. Otherwise you become a wooden mannequin, right? You have no feeling because you don't have inspiration and no pushing force from inside to do it. You don't enjoy it. You do it just like a machine. Then it's no good. That's why I don't come to the dressing room all the time, telling you what to do, because I leave you room for creativity.' Even the director and everyone, if they ask me, then I tell them. If they don't ask me, I don't tell them, except in some extreme cases like, for some of the clothing sets I designed it must be, you know, the headgear like that, or the footwear must be like.... Some are extremely fixed. If not, it doesn't look good. The others, it is more free.

I let them be free. Just when it is an extreme case, then I point and say, 'Don't do this. Don't do that.' Otherwise I leave them with their inspiration, and very discreetly instruct them what to do through someone else, or very discreetly. So they think they are doing it. I do it behind the door and through someone else and very tactically and let them have their own, free movement and will. And that's why they flowed last night. Yeah, it was so rigid before. And they don't even want to talk to you because it's their job and they are used to it. And sometimes it's very boring. You even have to represent some boring clothes. You have to do it because you do it for money. And the director sometimes is stupid and they tell you what to do and you have to do it. And it is sometimes very suffocating for them. That I understand.

Last night they were superb. They were beyond modeling. They were just representing themselves and their true beauty came out. And they were running around and picking this and that, and wanting more earrings, wanting more things. And I took all my beloved fake jewelry and gave it all to them and personally put more on for them. It's rare in the models' world that the models go and pick things themselves. But they enjoyed themselves and they were really touched, huh? I saw that. They came and kissed me, and said "Thank You." Because they felt respected last night. Respected, and really loved and enjoyed. We gave them true enjoyment.

Mostly not so much clapping and enthusiasm like last night, from thousands of people; they nearly died. They felt respected. Their job was nobilized. For the first time, they felt that their job is really noble. I said, 'God has bestowed beauty upon you. You should treasure it, and use it to beautify the world and to give enjoyment to other people in the purest sense of enjoyment.' Yes, then they understood. (Applause) Yeah, because sometimes I think many people look upon them as just an instrument -- lifeless, and no brain or anything. But they are persons too. They are us. They are one of us.

That's why when we bring out the best, the noble quality, and remind them of their noble purpose, then they do it with joy. That's why it was so beautiful last night. Right? (Applause) And if I said 'that's the show of the century,' it's not too much. No? (Applause) You know why? The century has nearly ended already. (Master and everyone laugh.) No competition.