Before my initiation, I
became acquainted with an amiable couple who were disciples of Master
Ching Hai and who owned a shop near mine at the Chiangmai Night Bazaar,
where they often greeted me. One day, the pair gave me a copy of The
Key of Immediate Enlightenment sample booklet. But Master’s image
on the cover did not correspond with my concept of a spiritual master,
whom I thought should dress simply like a Buddhist monk. Nonetheless,
I accepted the booklet out of courtesy, and despite my initial lack
of interest, did manage to briefly flip through its pages as I did not
want to hurt my friends’ feelings when they asked me about it.
However, the booklet failed to convince me that an enlightened Master
could cleanse the karma of Her disciples. Because it was the first time
in my experience with Buddhist doctrines that I had heard it was possible
to purge others’ karma. I then decided to set the book aside.
Later, when my friends lent me one of Master’s books, a thicker
one than the last, I accepted it for fear of hurting their feelings
but had no intention of reading it.
My friends played Master’s
Buddha’s Chanting tape in their shop every day. Although the volume
was low, I could still hear it clearly from my shop more than ten meters
away. It sounded noisy to me, and as the tape playing went on day after
day, I asked my neighbors, “Don’t you find the Buddha’s
Chanting very noisy?” And they replied in amazement, “What
Buddha’s Chanting? We can’t hear anything!” I was
bewildered. Why was I the only one who could hear it so loudly and clearly?
I then took out the copy of Master’s book that my friends had
given me, and read through it randomly. When I found that Master’s
teachings are to some extent similar to Buddhist doctrines and every
word that Master says is logical, I began to read the book more seriously.
Very soon, I finished the six volumes of The Key of Immediate Enlightenment
series and realized that I should not have misunderstood or looked down
on Master’s teachings. Soon after, I learned the Convenient Method,
and then in 1998 received Quan Yin initiation. I rejoice at having found
the best spiritual method in the world, and feel that Master is constantly
looking after my family and me. The best testimony to Her care is the
way in which my 86-year-old mother blissfully passed away in the hospital
three months ago.
In 2000 my mother was diagnosed
with cancer, and her condition fluctuated from week to week. Several
days before her demise, she developed a good appetite, and laughed and
chatted like a happy child. Her doctors and nurses were astonished since
she was terminally ill, cancer cells had spread throughout her body,
and she was not using painkillers; yet she did not complain about pain.
In light of her positive mood, I thought that mother would soon recover
and return home. However, when I told a fellow initiate about her condition,
he observed that my mother was going to pass away, but Master had compassionately
erased her pain so that she could focus only on Master and God when
she died. He advised me not to be overcome by sorrow, but instead to
meditate more as Master would take my mother to a beautiful dimension.
I was skeptical about the brother’s comments, and even felt a
little unhappy, thinking, “Mother looks just like a normal, healthy
person. Why did he say that she’s going to die?”
The following day, mother was
placed in the intensive care unit because she was having difficulty
breathing, and only then did I think that what the initiate had said
might be true. Although with an airway inserted in her throat my mother
remained completely conscious and smiled happily all the time. Another
day passed and the doctor ordered that the airway be removed. Then just
fifteen minutes later, mother passed away with her palms folded. I quickly
realized that she had folded her hands because Master had come to take
her Home.
I then decided to write down
this experience so that I could share it with others, but procrastinated
about completing it. Then one day during a group meditation session,
I saw mother in my inner vision, her eyes like those of a child. She
asked me, “Have you finished writing the article?” And I
answered, “I’ll try to finish it today!”
I am extremely grateful to Master for taking care of my mother so lovingly
in her final months on earth and in the hereafter. There is nothing
that I can do to repay Her except to practice more diligently.