Oh, it was a blessed day when I received the Budapest contact person's
notice about a special gathering at the local Chinese restaurant.
Throwing some clothes and a meditation cloth into my bag, I began to
hope and ran to fetch a taxi. As if on command, a cab pulled up in front
of me and the passenger got out. Before I boarded I had already told
the cabdriver the address and asked him to hurry since I was late.
Upon entering the restaurant, I noticed eight people with bright, expectant
faces, including a Quan Yin messenger, sitting around a large, round
corner table. Then I noticed Master in the group and could not
stop crying. I wished to be near Her like a child in her mother's arms.
"You're just dreaming!" said Master, when I finally sat down
at the table. She offered me food and told stories, and I knew
then that it was not a dream. She was there with us! She had come
to us! We had wished for it very much.
After dinner we all went to Hungary's rural center, where we had been
longing for Master to come, and everything still seemed like a winter
dream. The center was chilly, windy and unwelcoming, signs of mice were
everywhere, the kitchen area was in a sad state and the water was unsafe
to drink. Master left it up to us to decide whether we wanted to stay
or to go, but I was so happy and carefree that I was willing to stay.
In the ensuing days fellow initiates came to the center from all over
Europe for a retreat, not knowing whether they would be able to see
Master. But after hearing the good news that She was there, no one cared
about comfort.
In arranging for the retreat Master attended to every detail, and
with Her help several mobile homes were brought in. (Due to the cold
weather tents could not be used.) Also, following Master's instructions,
the sanitary area was converted into a meditation hall. Heaters were
installed so that we could stay warm, the cracks in the walls were
filled in and thick curtains were hung over the doors so that we could
stay there and meditate during the night. The kitchen also began to
function effectively and many delicacies were prepared. To make sure
that we did not overwork ourselves with food preparation,
three
times during the retreat Master ordered meals from a restaurant.
She lovingly cared for everything and everyone, including the center's
dogs, allowing them into Her mobile home and making warm sleeping places
for them. Master also asked that boots be brought for us to use in the
mud. All this and it was still only about our physical comfort, not
to mention our spirituality!
The truly great gift, however, the real blessing was Master's presence.
The immense spiritual blessing that we and the whole Universe receive
regularly through Master's power is inconceivable. Specifically, the
retreat participants experienced how She makes immense sacrifices for
us, and came to understand that without God's grace we would be unable
to escape the current of worldly attractions and repulsions.
Thus the retreat was like being in Paradise as Master's every word
and action became a lesson in love, patience, selflessness, renunciation,
humility, persistence, discipline, attentiveness and wisdom. She was
powerful for us; She was gentle for us; She was happy for us. She answered
our questions, told us jokes, sang songs to us and gave us Her greatest
gift in abundance: