Compiled and written by the Taipei News Group, Formosa

There are many turning points in life. Very often, whenever we encounter an ordeal, we suddenly become enlightened after a period of distress or gradual acceptance. Whether it is a "gain" or "loss" only our hearts can tell. This is the sincere feeling of brother initiate Hsieh, after the misty fog in his heart was blown away by Nari, the type of typhoon that rarely occurs in Formosa, but which recently "paid a visit" to brother Hsieh's sweet home.

Brother Hsieh lives in a residential family home, a concrete structure built according to the land contours halfway up Yangming Mountain. Despite several warnings issued on TV about the strong typhoon approaching Formosa, with its heavy rainfall, and the possible mudslides that could affect the island's mountainous areas, brother Hsieh and his family went about their normal daily routine without taking any precautions, because no mishaps had ever occurred at their home in the past.

On the evening of September 16, 2001, brother Hsieh washed his hair and, as usual, dried it in the kitchen, which was situated on a slope behind his home. He then went to his bedroom to meditate. His father habitually went out to inspect the courtyard, the drainage sewers in the backyard, and the kitchen on the slope. While meditating, brother Hsieh vaguely heard his father enter the sitting room. Then, a thunderous sound came from the rear of the house. The kitchen on the back slope had collapsed under the sudden onslaught of a torrential flow of muddy water, and had fallen on the last row of concrete houses on the slope. Rocks of all sizes, washed down by the muddy water, smashed through the windows into the rooms and then rushed through the doors into the living room and out into the courtyard at lower levels. Brother Hsieh's house had suddenly become an outlet for a mudslide!

Although the water level in the house was still low, the mudslide was gathering strength and kept moving down toward the house. So, brother Hsieh's father realized that there was no way to contain another attack of mountain torrents. He instructed the whole family to bring along their valuables, and they quickly went downhill to take refuge at their neighbor's home. Brother Hsieh took along his meditation cushion, and as he left, looked back and saw Master's CDs, audiotapes, and videotapes on the wooden floor of his Japanese-style room. Since he had to leave immediately with his family, there was no time to move them to a higher place. He was very sad, because if the water level rose 10 cm in the living room, his precious collection would be destroyed! At that critical moment, he had no option but to leave the house reluctantly. His father was very wise to leave the main gate of the courtyard open, so that the water and debris could flow down the slope.

As brother Hsieh and his family walked downhill, they found that part of the road foundation had been washed away by the mountain torrents that were rushing down, bringing with them many rocks. It was pitch dark, and they could only rely on the dim light of their flashlights to escape downhill, fumbling in the dark and risking the danger of being hit by rocks. However, brother Hsieh was not afraid; he firmly believed that Master would take care of his whole family, and their homestead up the hill as well.

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