Report from Taoyuan Center, Formosa

In recent years, Master has been busy delivering sentient beings in Her travels through various countries around the world. That She would include Formosa in Her lecture tour of Asia and Oceania was a great honor. As fellow practitioners eagerly and joyfully awaited that rare and precious occasion on May 5, the Taoyuan Center cherished the immense blessing of being appointed to host the lecture. All working initiates approached the arduous preparations with great zeal and devotion, and magnificent artwork and major carpentry projects were undertaken that allowed local initiates to witness the amazing process of creation firsthand. As the lecture date drew near, many enthusiastic fellow practitioners from all over Formosa arrived at the Center to work on behalf of this grand occasion, which might happen only once in hundreds or even thousands of years!

The enormous scaffold supporting the background painting on the lecture stage

The local initiates tidied up and beautified the Center as they would for festive celebrations, creating a desirable work environment for those initiates engaged in the major carpentry and art projects. The carpentry team built seven frames of equal size to support the large background painting that would be placed on the stage. Several fellow practitioners then secured canvas fabric over each of the frames, which stood nine meters high, due to the enormous size of the lecture venue (Formosa's largest indoor stadium). The sections were then carried by five brothers from the basement of the Taoyuan Center to an empty lot in front of the kitchen, where they were erected and placed together for painting. A three-tier work platform had been built for the two principal painters, sister initiates from the Taipei artwork team. With the help of several fellow practitioners, they moistened each of the canvases, brushed on the background colors, painted the main picture across all seven canvases, and put the finishing touches on this giant work of art.

A divine realm resting in the embrace of ethereal clouds

The two sisters had only five days to complete the seven sections of the painting, each measuring three by nine meters, before they were scheduled to fly overseas to help prepare for Master's lectures in other countries. They worked with absolute devotion and concentration, frequently staying up until midnight. Their spirit of dedication was really touching! Meanwhile, members of the carpentry team constructed not only the main arch for the entrance of the lecture venue but also the platform stage and its huge background structure. To build the stage, they carefully measured wooden boards, each cut to the appropriate size and shape, and assembled them in the basement of the Taoyuan Center. Then, immediately before the lecture, they had to dismantle the wood pieces, pack them separately, and transport them to the venue. There the boards were reassembled, painted, and put into place. This was not an easy job by any means!

On April 23, local contact persons, each accompanied by the heads and members of their work teams, met at the lecture venue to conduct an on-site survey. The Taoyuan County Stadium, Formosa's largest indoor stadium, is so big that it takes five minutes to walk on the ground level from the East gate to the West gate. The seating area extends from the ground level to the first and second levels, while conference rooms, rehearsal rooms, restrooms, and makeup rooms are located on the underground level. Upon arriving at the venue, the chief coordinator gave a detailed explanation of the duties of each work team, their personnel deployment and areas of responsibility, and the general layout of the stadium, so that everyone would be familiar with the environment and their assigned tasks. After a lunch break at the Taoyuan Center, they returned to the stadium to draw up more elaborate plans. The contact persons met again in the evening to discuss personnel, materials, and vehicles that they were to mobilize. They also took their share of the posters, banners, and fliers that were to be distributed and displayed in their own area.

Incidentally, of all Her lectures presented in Formosa, Master spoke to the largest audience ever on May 5, 2000. Local centers mobilized as many initiates as possible to join the preparatory work force in order to give Formosans an opportunity to see an Enlightened Master and to help readily prepared souls attain liberation in this lifetime. During the last two weeks of April, efforts were concentrated on promotional advertisements and posters. Initiates exhausted every means possible to reach out to the people, using newspapers, television, public transportation advertisements, fliers, roadside posters, long banners stretched high over areas frequented by crowds, and billboards at selected sites, including highway routes.

Buses and private cars carry news of Master's lecture.

Teams of initiates traveled through their neighborhoods, putting up posters. To avoid crowds and busy traffic so that they could finish their jobs faster, they often set out to work late at night. It was truly touching to observe the perseverance and tireless spirit with which fellow practitioners worked to inform the public of the upcoming lecture by Master. A number of enthusiastic citizens also volunteered to help. Touched by their sincerity, fellow practitioners wished that these citizens too would soon receive enlightenment.

From May 2 to May 5, large numbers of fellow practitioners arrived at the Taoyuan Center, bringing work materials and, of course, their love and zeal. They then launched themselves eagerly into the preparatory work. Some undertook the task of putting up decorations throughout the stadium: from the main entrance to the art exhibit area, then on to book circulation, the Celestial Clothes and Jewelry displays, the press reception area and the initiation registration desk. Others worked behind the scenes to sweep and mop the stadium, arrange rows of additional chairs on the ground level, hook up television sets on the balconies, install power cable lines, put down carpeting on the lecture platform, transport and position plants and trees on and around the stage, erect the framework for the stage background, and set up a huge TV projection screen on each side of the stage.

Hundreds of initiates prepared to serve as receptionists on the day of the lecture, and members of the choir rehearsed their performances. Many also worked together to transport, erect, and assemble the huge landscape painting onto the stage. The work was accomplished with much manpower and many transportation vehicles, as well as limitless stamina and perseverance on the part of the initiates.

The five tiers of the lecture platform were decorated with many green, leafy trees and plants bearing flowers of resplendent colors. Some of the trees were so big and tall that they required a lifting machine and half a dozen strong initiates to place them on the stage. In all, more than a thousand foliage and flowering plants lined the five tiers of the stage.

Initiates take care of every detail.

Despite the arduous work, the perfect cooperation of our fellow practitioners successfully transformed the previously littered venue into a magnificent, beautiful, and heavenly garden in just a day and a half. Even more remarkable was the fact that the dismantling work on the day after the lecture was accomplished in just three hours, which restored the venue to its original appearance (without the litter, of course). This amply demonstrated that the power derived from spiritual practice is omnipotent, fast, precise, and efficient.

Earlier, when the Taoyuan Center learned that Master's lecture would be held in Formosa, members immediately formed a kitchen staff of volunteer workers. After several meetings and discussions, jobs were assigned and fellow initiates with culinary skills were asked to submit recipes. Once the kitchen work began, the team members did their best to prepare plenty of delicious food for the other working practitioners. Although they had very little time for rest or sleep, they remained in bliss at all times, realizing that food prepared with joy would taste more delicious. They constantly recited the Holy Names and refrained from chatting. Master's Buddha Chanting was also played around the clock, blessing each dish with an even better taste. From the kitchen work, the initiates learned the spirit of selfless devotion and how to focus on a job to do it faster and better.

On the eve of the lecture, kitchen team members from other Formosan Centers joined in to serve the growing number of working initiates. On the day of the lecture, they prepared several thousand steamed bun sandwiches for new initiates and work team members. Not only did the new initiates feel their loving concern, but even Master was impressed. When She visited the kitchen, She sampled one of the sandwiches for the first time. "What is this?" She asked, and in Formosan dialect exclaimed, "Delicious! Delicious!" It is not difficult to imagine how happy and excited the kitchen staff members were!

On May 5, the day of the lecture, vegetarian food stalls were set up along the corridors circling the stadium to serve the people attending the lecture. Large numbers of guests could be seen enjoying the delicious vegetarian food before entering the venue. As soon as they stepped inside, their attention was drawn to Master's exquisite paintings. Many people were enchanted, and lingered in the art exhibit area for a long time.

To the left was a reception desk for print and television news reporters. Further ahead, a staircase was beautifully decorated with orchids, other blossoming flowers and a large collection of Master's Longevity Lamps. The flowers and radiant lamps made a perfect match!

The Book Circulation area featured large posters of Master suspended on the wall. Naturally, these became the focus of people's attention. In the Celestial Clothes section, Master's fashion items looked perfectly beautiful amidst the elaborate arrangements made by fellow practitioners. The Celestial Jewelry section attracted many people who were most interested in Master's latest design, the "Heavenly Dragon Chopstick Holder." Its unsurpassed craftsmanship, unique style, and multi-functional features make it a desirable addition to a family collection. Master's videotapes were played constantly on televisions installed in the exhibition area, feeding thirsty souls with nectar from heaven and opening their wisdom, which had been blocked for many lifetimes. In bliss and peace, the people bathed in Master's ocean of love!

Before 6:00 PM , guests and fellow practitioners began pouring into the stadium. That evening, sister initiates, gracefully dressed in traditional Chinese gowns, ushered more than 20,000 guests to their seats. The evening program commenced at 7:00 PM with a short video about Master's life, giving the audience a better understanding of this spiritual Master of the world. Then, three fellow practitioners shared their personal experiences in searching for the Truth and spiritual growth. This was followed by such spiritual songs as "The Pure Ocean" presented by choral groups from Tainan and Taipei, whose wonderful singing reverberated throughout the stadium and left the audience very moved.

Finally, after a superb performance of classical Chinese music, our motherly Master, whom fellow practitioners in Formosa had missed for many years, arrived at the venue! Impressed by all the decorations, Master had only words of praise: "It is really very beautiful!" Wearing a long skirt outfit from Her own fashion series, She looked young and happy as She was welcomed by thunderous applause from the audience. She entered the stadium, half jogging and in high spirits, and walked around the venue to look at the guests and Formosan fellow practitioners, many of whom She had not seen for a long time. She greeted everyone with best wishes as they waved back earnestly, and the stadium became alive!

Master then went on stage to accept flower offerings before beginning Her lecture. She was very touched and said that She felt as if She had come home. When She thanked everyone for not forgetting Her, the audience burst into applause to show their support for Her! The lecture was followed by a question-and-answer session. In response to a question concerning Formosa's relations with Mainland China, Master reaffirmed that no problem would arise as long as both sides were sincere, but that the situation would improve if there were more people pursuing spiritual practice.

Master arrived at the Taoyuan Center to provide Her blessing as the initiation was held late that night after the lecture. She exclaimed in delight, "Wow! This is the best, the grandest, and the most successful lecture ever!" Her happiness with the temporary quarters that the Center had warmly prepared and decorated for Her was evident. So deeply was She moved by the sincerity of the Formosan people, that She told Her attendants She could find no words to express Her feelings. So, She left a note on the mirror in Her room. Through Master's blessings and the concerted efforts of many people, this divine congregation drew to a close on a most beautiful note.

Note: Their sincerity moved Master to tears.