During
my life before initiation I followed diverse spiritual paths, but on
each one I was conscious of a deep uncertainty, a doubt that could only
be resolved by finding true inner peace. And so this desire for peace
was the basis of all my prayers to God.
Since childhood, I
have been haunted by the idea of death, and the ultimate meaninglessness
of worldly existence. As a committed Catholic, I was taught that life’s
only purpose is to glorify God, and because of this I enrolled in a
seminary to study for the priesthood, thinking that this could be the
only way to reach Hirm.
Years passed and events
occurred for which I could find no logical explanation with my limited
human mind. Being a rational person, however, I kept looking for another
path, but never left my fundamental base in Christianity. Working as
a high school teacher for twenty-six years, I had the opportunity to
learn many important life lessons from children and teenagers, but the
doubt remained.
Then, several years
ago, during my desperate search for peace of mind, I came to the conclusion
that I should become a vegetarian and live a more ascetic life, paying
less attention to material things and focusing instead on mysticism
and spirituality. I would thus have to change my lifestyle completely.
After reading a number
of books on meditation, however, I began to realize that it was not
necessary to leave my ordinary life of work, family and friends to reach
God; so I began to look for an appropriate method of meditation that
I could practice as a layperson.
At first I chose a
very expensive meditation program, but when I was ready to begin the
practice, my lovely partner, who became a vegetarian long before I did,
reminded me that if I spend too much for a meditation method, it is
possible that it will not lead to God because God cannot be reached
through money. So I returned to my prayers, asking Hirm again for the
true method.
God must have finally
felt pity on me because I eventually came across a magazine that discussed
the Quan Yin Method, a definitive meditation technique that was taught
completely free of charge by Supreme Master Ching Hai.
I called the phone
number listed in the magazine, and a contact person answered. Later
I learned the Convenient Method, after which time all the spiritual
signs that I discovered led me to the same place, where an Ocean of
Love and Wisdom filled my heart. Afterwards when I received the Quan
Yin Method, I felt as if I were flying on a cloud, and I reached the
peace that I had been looking for all my life, the peace that makes
me finally feel I am the owner of my heart and life.
Thank You, Master.