Story
World
By brother
initiate Sam, Formosa
The
1999 international retreat in Cape Town, South Africa was my first experience
of an overseas retreat, and an unforgettable event in my life.
The quiet
and serene campsite, the bright blue sky, the tender ocean breezes,
and the atmosphere of courtesy, harmony, and intermittent laughter among
the participants made me wonder if I were in Heaven. It was the first
time I went abroad and felt so close to Master since being discharged
from military service.
But the
most interesting aspect of the retreat was the fact that just one week
earlier I had had an accident on my way home from group meditation at
our center. A speeding motorbike driven by a student in the wrong direction
hit my motorbike head-on. A bone in my left toe was fractured, and the
pain was unbearable. I almost decided not to attend the retreat, but
found courage in this counsel from a fellow initiate: "Trivial
or vital, it is a matter of perception." I knew that these solemn
words calmly spoken were an indirect message from Master.
In the few
days after my accident, I trained myself not to succumb to the pain
or let it affect by daily life. I insisted on doing everything myself
because I did not want to become a burden to others during the retreat.
Miraculously, four days after the accident, I could walk without a cane!
During the retreat in South Africa, I could walk without assistance,
and even moved about to help decorate the campsite. Soon after the retreat,
my toe healed and I could walk normally. Thus, the retreat in South
Africa not only let me experience paradise on earth, but also helped
me surpass and overcome the limitations of the physical body!
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