Foreword:
Brother initiate Jacky Chantraine is a professor
of applied psychology at the Ecole d’Ergologie de Belgique located
on the Brussels Free University campus, and also teaches marketing at
another high school. While using his rich educational experience to
bring out the innate talents of his country’s youth, he also finds
time to pursue his lifelong interest in archery, being a renowned sharpshooter
and three-time Gold Medal Winner in the Belgian Archery Federation’s
Nature Shooting Competition. As a child, brother Jacky owned few toys
so he taught himself how to make bows and arrows as a hobby, and gradually
acquired a love of archery, which continues to this day. During his
practice sessions in the great, towering forests of Belgium, the tranquil
outer environment helps him achieve inner tranquility. In the interview
that follows, Jacky shares the insights and experiences he has gained
from spiritual practice, and describes his archery technique of “hitting
the bull’s eye.”
Encounter
with the Quan Yin Method
In recent years, Asian philosophies and cultures
have been a great source of interest to Westerners, including brother
Jacky, who has long been captivated by the esoteric teachings of Zen
and other schools of Buddhism. On one auspicious occasion, he received
a message about the Quan Yin Method, and thus embarked on the path toward
enlightenment. As he states, “Once I went to the campus of a university
in Brussels on “Buddhist Day,” when people were talking
about Buddhism. There happened to be a seminar about the Quan Yin Method,
which I thought was about Buddhist teachings.
Since I like all the oriental philosophies, I attended
the seminar. As I was leaving, someone handed me a free sample booklet
and I took it and started reading it.”
“When I went home, my wife pointed at the cover
of the sample booklet and said, ‘That’s Master Ching Hai.
I also know about Her because my Aulacese friends gave me several of
Her videotapes.’ We then compared the contents of the sample booklet
and videotapes, and after a period of intensive study, were attracted
to Master’s teachings and decided to practice the Quan Yin Method.
So we sought out the address of our local center and were eventually
initiated.”
Reflect
on Your Inner Self and Contact God Directly
When asked what he had cultivated and realized
since beginning his pursuit of the Quan Yin Method, brother Jacky said,
“The Quan Yin Method allows me to recharge my spiritual battery,
to look inside myself, and to speak directly with God.” He then
cited the following Zen story to illustrate the importance of “meditating
with a still mind.”
An English tourist in Japan persistently asked a
Japanese monk this question: “Could you please tell me what Zen
means?” The monk replied, “Come with me; I’ll show
you.” Standing on the edge of a lake, the monk said, “Look!
Isn’t the water so pure that you can see the bottom?” “Yes!”
answered the Englishman. “Now, I’m stirring the water with
my stick. What do you see?” The Englishman answered, “Nothing.
The water is troubled. I can’t see the bottom at all.”
The monk then said, ”It’s the same with
Zen. When you meditate, you’re as quiet as the water, and you
can see the real Self inside you, but if you’re stressed and agitated,
you can’t see your real Self anymore. That’s why you need
to become still and meditate.”
Brother Jacky concluded, ”That’s what
meditation means to me: seeing my inner Self, and being able to contact
God directly.”
Concentration
is the Key to Success
It is undeniable that archery is not merely a
sport, but also a special form of art. However, one might ask if archery
and spiritual practice have anything in common. To this question, brother
Jacky replies, “For me, shooting is also a kind of meditation.
I’ve already explained it to a lot of people. Meditation doesn’t
just mean sitting and closing your eyes.
There are different kinds of meditation; for instance,
standing meditation, sitting meditation, and so on. I really take archery
as a kind of meditation. I’m highly concentrated when shooting
or before shooting. I recite the Holy Names from time to time, and put
my attention on the wisdom eye. I simply close my eyes a little and
can see the image of the inner Master, which means seeing Master through
the inner Light.”
“When looking at the target, it’s as
though I’m looking at Master’s image. It’s because,
in superior archery, the shooter and target are no longer opponents,
but have melted into one. Meditation also helps me a lot in daily life
as I’ve gotten used to focusing on my inner Self. I can now go
more directly and quickly to the point of any problem before me, and
the solution comes like a spotlight. This is similar to archery, when
you focus on one point in the middle of the target and hit the bull’s
eye.”
A
Vegetarian Diet Provides Ample Strength and Vitality
Many people have the notion that a vegetarian
diet is not nutritious enough, and can thus adversely affect one’s
strength and mental capacity. But actually, the truth is just the opposite.
Brother Jacky cited his own experience in observing a vegetarian diet:
“Pulling the bow requires a lot of strength. When I first switched
to a vegetarian diet, I was a bit worried that my body would become
too weak to control the bow properly. People also told me that not eating
meat would make me tire easily, get poor results, and thus suffer.
However, since following a vegetarian diet for a
period of time, not only has my strength been unaffected, but my mental
condition has improved, accompanied by improvements in stamina and concentration.
So it was absolutely a wrong concept. I’m the best example and
evidence of vegetarianism’s positive effects. People who know
me now also realize the benefits of a vegetarian diet, and are no longer
amazed or skeptical.”
Honoured
with the Medal of The Order of Leopold
In
addition to being a superb archer, brother Jacky is also an earnest
educator who has devoted himself to his career for many years, and brought
out his students’ inherent talents to the benefit of his country.
For his work he was recently awarded Belgium’s Chevalier Medal
of The Order of Leopold. Brother Jacky explained the award as follows:
“Leopold was the first King of Belgium. When a person has accrued
enough experience, made an extraordinary contribution to the Belgian
nation, in my case teaching for many years in the university sector,
and thus earnestly served the country and its people, the King awards
him or her with the Chevalier Medal of The Order of Leopold.”
“Issue #126 of The Supreme Master Ching Hai
News features a special report on education containing interviews with
teachers, professors and educational workers in various fields. The
individuals interviewed all stress the importance of teaching young
people by being role models. Only when teachers demonstrate concepts
through their own positive example can they infuse students with good
qualities and rectify their bad habits. I like the teaching profession,
and although it doesn’t earn me a lot on money, as a teacher,
the most important thing is helping young people to grow.”
To conclude his interview with the
News, brother Jacky poured out his feelings of gratitude to Master with
these comments:
Dear Master,
The truth is that You have changed my life.
Since I have come to know You, nothing in my life has been the same.
I now know where the Truth is, and things don’t look the same
as before. I know that by following Your teachings I can become my own
master. And whatever may happen in the future, I will always want to
go Home. This world is but an illusory stage, and we are the actors.
Each day we’re busy and feel that we’re important until
one day someone comes to tell us, “Children! The play is finished.
I want to take you home” And this Someone is You, Master Ching
Hai.
Thank You,
Jacky Chantraine
For on-line viewing of this interview,
please visit Sun
TV program serial no.55 of A Journey through Aesthetic Realms:
(English, with Chinese subtitles)
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