The Supreme Master Ching Hai, the Quan Yin Method and the Chinese in Southeast Asia.
Formosa, May 6, 2000.

The NT$10 million mentioned earlier refers only to the first cash contribution by our group. If we were to include all the relief supplies we provided, the amount would be closer to NT$20 million. Since we are a spiritual group, we do this kind of thing naturally, without feeling that we are going out of our way to do it. People may find this very strange, because it seems to be a huge amount and we seem to be a very tight organization. Let me share with you some more information. Master always teaches us to act like Jesus Christ -- when we give with our left hand, we should not even let our right hand know. Therefore, we do not regard such acts as very serious matters. This is the first point I'd like to stress.

The second point relates to how we mobilize our group in relief operations. Most organizations have an individual leader or a group of leaders, so how was it possible for Master's disciples, when participating in this disaster relief operation, to arrive in the affected areas before other large organizations? In my personal opinion, it is because we are all connected to God, so our only organization is Hiers organization. That is to say, Hes is connected with every one of us, with each of Master's disciples. Master's loving concern for and anxiety about the quake-stricken areas led us to act on our own initiative. Just one telephone call from Her, and everyone was there. It was incredible, though, that we went without knowing who else would be there, whether doctors would be present, or if transportation would be available.

Before any other automobiles arrived, we had already formed a team of jeeps. Later, we saw several jeep teams in about a dozen affected townships. I would like to inform you that our jeep team supported the Relief Center. We also set up a HAM radio communication system. The communication systems used by some of the relief associations were actually ours. Why do we have these systems? It is because we often have retreats in the mountains with Master, so we have to handle communication problems in remote locations. Many people attend these retreats, where we need food, supplies, accommodation facilities, and communication with the outside, so we have had to develop communications systems to equip ourselves. Many of our members have received training at Formosa's Directorate General of Telecommunications, so we knew how to set up the radio equipment. We sent all our electric generators and radio equipment to the disaster areas after the earthquake.

Our members were already there when everything was still in chaos, before any other charitable groups had showed up, tables or chairs had been set up, or relief provisions had arrived at the Nantou Relief Command Center. Later, when we saw other charitable groups moving in, our members quickly dispersed to help in places that the other groups could not reach. I must emphasize again that we perform these acts without feeling we are going out of our way to do so. It was more important for us to reach the places in most urgent need instead of appearing where the media were.

Endnotes for Brother Ke's comments:

(1). The "telephone" we provided was not an ordinary telephone; it was a cordless phone that routed its calls through an outside line. Most of the telephone lines in Nantou were down at the time. The Taichung and Taoyuan Relief Associations, which were engaged in a joint relief operation in Chungliao, Chichi, and Puli in Nantou County, used the telecommunication base station set up and the telephone connections provided by us.

(2). Our excavation team consisted of twelve vehicles, including three excavators, a bulldozer, three tractors, two 35-ton trucks, one eight-ton truck, and two jeeps. These vehicles were deployed in the severely hit areas of Chungliao and Chichi to open roads and clear debris from collapsed buildings and streets. They also helped to clean up the site selected for the temporary police station and to open roads between villages. During the earlier stage, when lose rocks were still falling, the excavation work was very dangerous. Work teams braved the rain and aftershocks of the earthquake to open roads between villages in Chungliao, so that the Taiwan Power Company could access these areas to repair damaged power cables. The blocked roads were finally cleared at about 3:00 AM, at the cost of two broken mounting tracks on the excavators.

When the team members left the mountain, the villagers wanted to express their gratitude to them for risking their lives to open up the roads, and they pooled some money to prepare a banquet. The villagers had just experienced a disaster and desperately needed money at the time, so the work team did not want them to spend their money on the banquet, and immediately offered to pay for the meal. But the villagers refused to accept the money. So, the work team decided to buy their dogs as an excuse, but the local residents still refused to accept the money. They were human victims and these were "dog" victims, they said, while thanking us for keeping their dogs for them. One of the dogs was named "Ah Chung" and the other "Ah Liao" after their township "Chung-liao." The story of Ah Chung and Ah Liao deepened our respect for and reflections on life, and completely reveals the splendor of warm humanitarianism, which makes us understand that we all live in God's blessing.

Our excavation team worked for seven days. After the roads were opened, much of the later work involved legal and human rights issues, such as determining the state of the affected houses -- whether they should be considered half or fully collapsed, and the compensation the occupants should receive; therefore, the government then took over the relief work completely. We had accomplished our task at the most urgent stage. We also left 95 barrels of diesel fuel, each containing 50 gallons, for the army, the civilian groups, and the Chungliao rural township office, which were carrying out relief work in Puli.

Formosan earthquake victims using the tents provided by
The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association

(3).When the stores ran out of tents, we collected those used by our initiates and sent them to the disaster-stricken areas. We also thought of another method, which was to provide sleep screens, canvas cloth, sleeping bags, and mattresses. Together, these served as good a purpose as tents. Most of the sleep screens in the disaster-stricken area were provided by us. To solve the problem of getting these items for the victims, we purchased all the sleep screens available in Taichung, and then turned to Kaohsiung and Tainan for more.

(4).On the day of the earthquake, we set up two disaster relief centers, one in our Taichung Center, and the other in our Nantou Center. The Taichung Center facilitated the collection of relief supplies and the deployment of fellow practitioners throughout Formosa. From Taichung, we drew up relief routes and sent automobile teams to each rural and urban township, including Tali, Taiping, Wufeng, Fengyuan, Shihkang, Hsinshe, and Tongshih. The Nantou Center was responsible for relief operations in thirteen towns and villages in Nantou, including Chungliao, Chichi, Chushan, Hsinyi, Luku, Shuangwen, Kuohsing, Yuchih, Puli, Jenai, Wushe, and Tsaotun.

Power and water supplies were cut off in Nantou, and it was difficult to purchase any provisions at the time. Although Taichung was also hit by the earthquake, it was a big city, so provisions were still available, and transportation was convenient. Therefore, the Taichung Center cooperated with the Nantou Center in the relief operations, and the relief work was carried out extensively and smoothly.

Since the roads in Nantou were literally destroyed, many victims could not reach the government relief centers to obtain relief materials. In addition, sometimes they needed identity verification from their village or neighborhood warden before they could receive anything. In order to provide urgent help to these victims, our fellow practitioners gathered at our Nantou Center and divided into dozens of teams, each guided by a local Nantou fellow practitioner. These teams set out for many townships, using vans and jeeps to deliver tents, sleeping bags, canvases, powdered milk, mineral water, noodles, and other provisions to each affected household. For places inaccessible by car, teams traveled in groups of two or three by foot over mountains and rivers to deliver relief provisions to the affected areas. It was often after midnight when they returned to the Nantou Center.

In the days following the September 21 earthquake, a series of aftershocks occurred, and falling rocks often missed us only by inches. We needed God's blessings to go deep into the mountains and under Hiers protection, our fellow practitioners, thinking little of themselves, ventured into remote mountainous areas where no one else went. These included small tribal villages in Yuchih and Tongkuang townships, Chiufen's twin mountains in Kuohsing rural township, Pingting in Shuangwen, the dam on Shuili Mountain, Jenai rural township, and the hills in Wushe. Our medical team even scaled mountains to reach Wushe, and left by helicopter because of landslides. Our fellow practitioners visited all thirteen villages and towns in the affected area, including the most remote corners, to comfort the victims. Besides providing general relief provisions, we also supplied necessities for special needs. These included sanitary napkins and different brands of powdered milk for infants. From this operation, we learned to provide prompt assistance and fulfill the people's most urgent requirements.

In addition to distributing relief provisions to the victims, we also mobilized more than 50 light trucks and four-wheel-drive vans that had been provided by Formosan fellow practitioners. Meeting at the Nantou County Government Relief Command Center, practitioners helped to transport provisions to relief centers in the various townships throughout Formosa. In effect, we worked quietly to speed up the government's relief work. Even before the media had called for the government to supply mobile toilets three days after the earthquake, practitioners had silently purchased more than 20 mobile toilets from Kaohsiung a day earlier, and had already delivered them to Chungliao, Chichi, and Puli. This consideration for the victims' most pressing needs was truly touching. It was God's love in action.

C. Now let us continue. The speech by former Director Mr. Ke was very interesting. Of course, we are more concerned about Formosa than Southeast Asia, but since our topic today is the Chinese in Southeast Asia, let us first get on with that. Some of you here may still have questions related to the Master's activities in Formosa. We can discuss them later. Perhaps this lady still has something to say about Formosa, but please raise your questions later. Now, let us get on to our topic of Southeast Asia.

R. I am a reporter for the United Daily News. Supreme Master Ching Hai, You mentioned earlier that Your group is a not tightly organized, but I am curious about its operational structure. For instance, there are so many countries in Southeast Asia. How do You get Your fellow practitioners to voluntarily contribute so much money in such a group not tightly organized? The Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Association, for example, has a fixed operational fund. If You were to ask Your members to contribute only when the need arises, and then send the money over and buy the things there, the process would be very complicated. Therefore, I am very curious about how You manage to accomplish this in Southeast Asia.

M. It is just the same. We really have no organization. If you wish, you may come and investigate. We just contribute what we can afford. I give what I have, and you give what you can. We collect it all and send it over. We do it voluntarily. This is the work of God. Once the God within us awakens, Hes will know how to save our relatives and friends. There is no need to organize anything. The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association was established at the government's instructions.

The authorities said that we had to form an organization so they could have a membership list, and so we had a few hundred people sign up as members. Otherwise, we really have no members in the true sense of the word. We have an identity card to prove that we are really fellow practitioners when we go to retreats. It shows that we go there to meditate, and not to create trouble. We have no organization; all are volunteers. Spiritual practitioners should be easy and carefree. We cannot ask them to do anything permanently or pay annual fees. The idea has never occurred to us. We only want to remind them of their God Nature, and then it is up to them to do what they want. They are free to contribute or not to contribute. When they come to our centers, they don't have to pay for their food, drinks, or accommodations. It is completely up to them to decide if they should do anything or contribute any money. When there is a disaster, everyone has the obligation to contribute and do his share. It is not the responsibility of any single person. Is this clear enough to the United Daily News reporter?

C. Let us continue with this discussion. I think we should devote more time to discussion because the Supreme Master tells us more in this kind of an exchange. You should be able to understand Her intent and the hidden meaning behind Her words. It is absolutely impossible to carry out activities so efficiently without an organization, so this is actually an organizing method of the "supreme" level. Perhaps you have other questions for the Supreme Master.

W (Wen Chin-ko, producer of the Central Broadcasting Corporation). Supreme Master Ching Hai, it is my great honor to be able to meet with You! I have heard about You and admired You for a long time. Since I am studying Buddhism, I'd like to ask You a minor question concerning Buddhism. We know that You had already accomplished some spiritual attainments before You came to Formosa. But we also know that You first appeared in Formosa in the form of a bhiksuni (Buddhist nun). From the standpoint of the Buddhist community, we wonder why You decided to approach the Formosan society as a Buddhist.

M. It was my destiny that I should be a monk for some time. You may ask God if you want. (Laughter) For instance, some of us serve in the army for a couple of years, but some make it their lifelong career. Everyone has a different destiny. I have no say over my destiny. Everything is arranged by fate.

W. Are You saying that it was not Your decision?

M. Of course it was, but we just do what God tells us to do.

W. If it was Your own decision, then what factors did You consider at the time?

M. I didn't consider anything. I just do what God tells me to do, which is simpler.

W. My question is why You didn't come in Your original status or why You didn't choose to come, for example, as a Christian, Catholic, or Muslim. Why did You choose to come as a Buddhist? I think that there must have been a reason for Your decision. Can You tell us about it?

M. I just did. If God wants us to do something, then we just do it; this is the simplest way. It is more complicated to resist Hiers will. Once we are enlightened, our lives become simpler because God makes all the arrangements for us. If Hes tells us to do something, we just obey Hirm. We don't use our minds to argue with Hirm like we used to, or pray to Hirm for something that we think is more beneficial or suitable for worldly people. Take myself for instance; if I really had a choice, I wouldn't be wearing these clothes and heavy ornaments. When I get home, I take them off as fast as I can. Usually, if I am not going to a lecture or to see people, I don't wear these ceremonious outfits that make me feel uncomfortable. I prefer to be dressed casually and move around like a "nobody". Therefore, I just do what God tells me to do. Perhaps you will run into such a situation one day and then you will understand. I have protested to Hirm many times, but to no avail. So, I just gave in. Hes has taught me to surrender. Are you satisfied with my answer? If you still have doubts, please ask.

W. Sorry, I still have something to say. I have a reason for asking this question. Personally, I respect You very much, but I don't think that Formosa's Buddhist community is very friendly toward You and there is some misunderstanding between You and this community. This is perhaps partly because You once appeared as a member of this community but the Buddhists feel that Your teachings are different. Therefore, from the secular standpoint, I think that Your strategy is, I don't know, maybe You might say that this is God's will. But I feel that it's a pity. I think that You are sharing a Method that is so free and full of life, and yet solemn in nature within. This is an excellent or very good way of teaching. If for some reason, there were a misunderstanding or an unhappy experience between You and an existing religious group, I'd say that it must be a great pity. Therefore, I'd like very much to know the reason.

M. I was a monk in my past life, but my career was not accomplished, so I had to come back to finish the last part. Once I have finished my job, I don't have to do it anymore; that is all. You are right about what you said. However, even if I had never been a monk who changed later, people would still have misunderstood me. Jesus Christ had never been a monk, but He was crucified. Shakyamuni Buddha was a monk His whole life, yet someone deliberately injured His leg. He suffered lifelong humiliation by others and remains a target of criticism till this day. He didn't die in peace; there are still people who speak offensively about Him. Today, there are still people who misunderstand Jesus Christ, so what would you expect for an insignificant woman like myself who says things that people don't understand? Of course, if the whole world could understand what I say, we would not be living in this dimension. We wouldn't call it "Earth", but " Heaven" instead.

I came to this world and I live here not to please tradition, nor to win people's praise or approval. I live in order to remind people of their own greatness. I try my best to do as much as I can and remind as many people as possible. When the time comes, we must leave, whether we are good or bad, whether we wear beautiful or ugly clothes. I don't have much time. I am getting on in years.

W. Thank You Supreme Master. I like Your answer very much. Thank You.

M. Thank you! It is great that you like it. I love to hear that. (Applause)

C. Ladies and gentlemen, we have allowed more time for this first session so we could touch on more solid issues. According to our agenda, the second session should focus first on the Supreme Master's success in teaching the Quan Yin Method in Southeast Asia; second, on the main difficulties She has encountered; and third, on the prospects She holds for the future. Could You please discuss Your major achievements in teaching the Chinese in Southeast Asia, the major obstacles You have encountered, how You managed to solve these difficulties, and what plans and expectations You have for future development?

M. We pursue spiritual practice in silence in order to help ourselves. We become more cheerful, and our old habits and bad concepts gradually fade away. That was why Shakyamuni Buddha had to practice for a long time before he attained Buddhahood; He didn't achieve it in one day. Things would be worse if people did not practice. According to my decade-long observations, our fellow practitioners have made much progress after practicing spiritually, and this is splendid! As you might have observed, we do not just benefit ourselves; we also serve society. Of course, we cannot prove our inner spiritual achievements. Perhaps after long observation, we can say that someone who used to scold, quarrel with, or even hurt others, has become more benevolent, and that he has improved through spiritual practice. But we cannot say that easily. However, we are of help to society, too. Take your last question, for instance, about how we manage to mobilize so many people so quickly to help others. This is because our God Nature has awakened; we have become more loving and know exactly what to do. We see the suffering of others as our own, so we do not hesitate to help society. We do what is beneficial to society.

Sometimes, when our fellow practitioners encounter difficulties or experience much suffering during their work overseas, they meditate together; then, they cheer up and become happy. Sometimes, when they are not very advanced in their spiritual practice, they may have difficulties; then it helps to talk to others and offer mutual help.

Of course, you will encounter difficulties in any work you do. They are not the monopoly of religious groups, or groups like ours that share the Truth. For instance, those of you who are professors sometimes run into students who are difficult to teach. Sometimes your busy work may impair your health; you may have to sacrifice your sleep at night, and still have to take care of your family. Besides facing the difficulties in education, you also have to take care of your family and perhaps fulfill other obligations. Parenting also has its difficult side. Being a professor is not an easy career free of difficulties. Of course, we spiritual practitioners ought to help others. And in our pursuit of spiritual practice, we will encounter obstacles and misunderstandings. However, we have accepted the fact that this is what society is like. We do our work without expecting praise or approval from others, so we are not disappointed.

How we will develop in the future depends on God's will. I will live if Hes wants me to live, and if Hes doesn't, I will say "Bye-bye" - it's very simple. Some of you asked how we have organized and developed so well. It all happens naturally. I don't really take any action. I just say, " Yes, no, okay, I will come," or "I cannot come." That's all. I don't do anything, nor do I tell them anything or dominate anyone. I seldom call them on the phone; I do only occasionally when there is a disaster. Take this brother Lin, for example. I don't call him or the liaison practitioners every day. Ask our fellows and liaison practitioners and see how many of them ever receive a call from me. None -- except when there is a disaster or when there is work to do.

Then I ask them to promptly get help from fellow practitioners. If they don't have enough money, we contribute whatever we can afford from our headquarters. Only then do I make a call; otherwise, I don't. They didn't even know when I arrived here [in Formosa]. Only when I appeared on the lecture stage did they realize, "Oh! Master is here." Before that moment, they had no idea where I was or what I was doing. I don't trouble or dominate people, nor do I exercise remote control over them. I don't do it! They do things automatically. Since they have had a taste of happiness, they want to share it with others, out of love. Things happen like that naturally. I don't have any plans.