 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 
|
|
 
|
|
 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FROM SHUMEI MAGAZINE, Vol. 241 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER
2002 February 20, 1982, was an important day that turned my life to a new chapter. On that day twenty years ago, I met and received Jyorei from my spiritual mother, Ms Yung Hop. At that time I had frequent asthma attacks, chronic irregular heart rhythm, intense dizziness, and I was wandering at the verge of my life. The other problem was that I had struggled to take an equivalency examination so that I could get six credits in a foreign language course for my college graduation. Both my health and the exam problems had seemed hopeless for a long time, so I was very grateful to my day-care student's mother, who introduced me to Ms Yung Hop. I liked Meishusama's teaching of not just thinking of our happiness, but helping others first. So, I took this active lady [Ms Yung Hop] to give Jyorei to my friend in Boston. Due to my health, that was the first time that I could make such a long trip. I could make the trip because on the third day after I started to receive Jyorei and read Meishusama's teaching, I miraculously regained my health. Additionally, in the third month after I began to receive Jyorei, I was called to take a Chinese exam at New York University to be reimbursed credits to complete my B.A. degree requirements. I graduated in June of that year. Thank you, Meishusama. I finally realized that Meishusama could help to solve such longstanding, seemingly impossible problems. My spiritual mother told me that Meishusama is mighty and that Jyorei is the only solution to many problems. Her faith was so remarkable and her dedication so true that she was able to introduce one hundred members in just nine months' time. She attended Meishusama's ceremony of the century on the Holy Mountain and happily brought a gift of peaches. Since I had received two big miracles from Meishusama, she strongly recommended I make a thanksgiving trip to the headquarters in Japan and also spend some time studying Meishusama's teachings with her teacher, Chin Sensei, in Hong Kong. I was born and grew up in Hong Kong, but had left there ten years previously, wandering all over until Meishusama fixed my health and put me on that trip both back to my spiritual home on the Holy Mountain of Misono and my physical home in Hong Kong. It was so embarrassing to me that I could not behave like a pure Chinese and this caused many problems for the people around me. Even though I still learned a lot and felt a lot of love and care from God and many people, I only learned later about the importance of hoshi from Kaishusama. Honestly, in general we in America have too much freedom, which made us feel too proud and less humble. Once again, the next year my spiritual mother encouraged me to go for hoshi in Japan. In 1983, after the Grand Sampai ceremony, I spent eight months on the Holy Mountain by learning, helping, and practicing new things like cooking, cleaning, gardening—all necessary work to run the big, beautiful Misono. These were the happiest days of my life, even though I had serious physical purifications. I was able to stay and be of service in Misono thanks to the support of all my friends, especially Ms Yung Hop. I was inspired by the courage my spiritual mother displayed in her early sixties. Her gray hair seemed like an expression of her hard work. She knew only limited spoken English, and she was eager to leave her family behind in Hong Kong and come to this strange land to spread Meishusama's love. At first, I did not know Meishusama, but through her love and care I came to see Meishusama's love in her face. I enjoyed bringing her around this big city [New York City] to give midnight Jyorei to the needy ones. She taught me to bake cakes for offerings and told me many miracles of hers and others. She could always spare her time, energy,
and money for others. One year, her daughter-in-law gave birth to
a baby girl. She just went home for two weeks, without staying long
enough to take care of every last need and completely satisfy the
family. This was because she promised to come back to America with
Assistant Sensei Tsui Po Hing to prepare her [Assistant Sensei's]
new start helping our SSA Chinese members, and that lasted for around
eight long years. For many long years, many members admired her and yet wondered why she needed to undertake foreign Jyorei activities. She once told me that she had had a dream of seeing many burnt baby pigs dying on a hill after she started reading Mikotosama's teachings of Jonathan Livingston Seagull. Then, she felt the importance of getting herself moving. Coincidentally, I was thinking of the New York "ground zero" September 11 disaster and it seemed to almost match her dream. I called her up and she had the same feeling. The last thing she told me was that the purification by fire had come. Then, on October 20, 2001, she left us and made that final trip back to the spiritual world. I felt so lonely, I prayed for her spiritual happiness and wished her a continued busy activities schedule in her new life, just as she usually had. Our New York Center received its Scroll of Light in 1983, right after the Grand Opening of Misono. It is a symbol of the spiritual sunrise in this dirty city. Since then, many new members have begun giving Jyorei and many activities have happened, like the Shumei Family Metropolitan Museum exhibition, the Shumei Taiko Ensemble performances, interfaith activities, the Summit Conference of the great religious and spiritual leaders at the United Nations, Grand Central Station Jyorei activity, New York Center open house, and monthly Jyorei activities. Finally, that disastrous day (September 11) came and all our members, their family, and friends luckily escaped harm. Thank you, Meishusama. I hope this will be the end of tragedy.
To get rid of it, according to Meishusama's teachings, more hands
should be involved to clean up individuals' as well as the whole
world's spirits, thus creating a world of harmony.
|
||||
       |
|||||
|
|||||