In April 2019, the Pyongyang Folk Arts Group travelled to Taiwan, also known as Formosa, for the purpose of celebrating Korea Peace Day with our Beloved Supreme Master Ching Hai. First proclaimed in 2018 by Supreme Master Ching Hai, the annual Korea Peace Day on April 27 is a day to commemorate the Panmunjom Declaration of Peace on the Korean Peninsula by the two heroic Korean leaders, Dear Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un and His Excellency Moon Jae-in. In Part 1, we will start with the welcome vegan banquet lovingly prepared by our Association members for Pyongyang Folk Arts Group and Supreme Master Ching Hai. “We, all of the members, are here to see You, Supreme Master Ching Hai. It makes us feel like going to see our mothers to our hometown in Korea. We could feel Supreme Master Ching Hai's love for us in Korea, even though You are in Taiwan (Formosa), since Your love impressed us and touched us deeply.”

During most of his lifetime, Schubert was not known for being particularly outgoing, however he did enjoy the company of close friends, including in the wonderful, cheerful summer of 1824 spent in their company in Zseliz, in what is now Slovakia. After he returned to Vienna, feeling healthy and with sun-brightened disposition, he produced one of his most famous works, “Sonata in A minor for Arpeggione and Piano, D. 821.” The “Arpeggione Sonata” is in typical classical Sonata form, with three movements. Schubert painted romantic colors with the music: lights and shadows flicker and flash, serenity and a sweet melancholy pervades, notes dancing with joy, and melody glides with soft tones. This sonata expresses a panoramic variety of feeling, with great beauty.

Franz Peter Schubert was born in 1797 in what in today the Himmelpfortgrund area of Vienna, Austria. By the age of 16, Schubert had already composed an abundance of music, including string quartets and symphonic music. Schubert is considered to have bridged Classicism and Romanticism, and is rightly lauded as outstanding representative of early Romanticism also. In today’s program, we would like to share with you one of the most famous chamber music works from Schubert – the first movement of String Quartet No.13 in A Minor, “Rosamunde.” The first movement of “Rosamunde,” as scored for string quartet, sets off with a heart-pulling theme. The violins, viola and cello from a rich and soft timbre, with emotional fluctuations. The descriptive and soothing music narrates the first melancholy, then uplifting story of princess Rosamunde.

Now we will read Master’s affectionate letter to the artists: ”Cherished artists and love ones of October 1st, 2019, Thank you for gracing our place with your beautiful presence. You are still dearly remembered by all of us here in Taiwan (Formosa). And now we see you re-aired on our Supreme Master TV, we miss you. It's so enjoyable to meet and spend some time with you, though too short. Well! They say good thing doesn’t always come in big quantity. Your pure-hearted affection and loving aura made it even more so memorable. You are all truly loved here; not only because you are talented persons, but also because you are genuine humans; with high quality of love and warm-heartedness. Just a few lines to wish you well and success.” The artists responded to Master’s letter with more loving messages. “These messages filled my heart with joy! Thanks to Supreme Master Ching Hai. I love being vegan and I feel so happy to see Your videos and our moments together. Fabiana Passoni.” “You are the greatest Tzadik that I know. Your presence on earth brings light, mercy and enlightenment into the world. Your love embraces all of life, from humanity to the animals to the plants and vegetation and even to the consciousness that resides in the Earth itself, from water to the living soil to the vibrant and life-sustaining atmosphere. You have had a profound impact on my life. I bow in humility and gratitude before You and I thank You for making me feel united with the Cosmos through Your teachings and by Your example. Lionel Friedberg.”

In this episode, we are privileged to read more of the heartfelt messages of gratitude from the attended guests to Supreme Master Ching Hai and the event production team. Mr. Mark Janicello, the famous Italian singer, actor and producer, told us: “It was a thrill to meet Supreme Master Ching Hai. I pray every day for Supreme Master. I am looking forward to seeing Her again. And, of course, all of you! I pray for every joint and muscle in Her body. That there is no pain. That energy continues to flow through Her out into the entire world.” Next is a message we received from Mr. Vincent Paterson, legendary director and choreographer: “Everyone, To those we met and to those we didn’t have the chance to meet - we had a remarkable experience. Being in the presence of Supreme Master Ching Hai has honestly altered us in many ways. Some we recognize and others will reveal themselves in time. We have become vegetarians. We both meditate daily now. These new practices in our lives are a beautiful result of having spent only a few days surrounded by so much love. Many of you paid such lovely compliments to Rene about his music. We wanted to share the video I directed of the second song he sang, You Should Come With Me.”

We are privileged to read some of the heartfelt messages of gratitude sent by the artists after the “Friends of Eternity” gathering to Supreme Master Ching Hai and the event production team. Next is a message from the Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker, Lionel Friedberg, to our beloved Master: “Dear Supreme Master Ching Hai, This comes to You with my profound respect and gratitude for a life-altering experience in Taiwan (Formosa). I can never thank You enough for Your love, Your kindness, Your generosity, Your inspiration. I would also like to thank every single disciple and member of Supreme Master TV who contributed to the overwhelming success and impact of ‘Friends of Eternity.’ Each and every person contributed to the event and to my experience of it. Their roles defy description or measure. Everyone left an indelible impression on my life. Under Your guidance and inspiration, You have surrounded Yourself with truly extraordinary people. From the people who met us at the airport to the drivers to the everyday staff to the Supreme Master TV production crew to all those disciples who are helping to change the world, bring about peace and enrich their own spiritual development, I can never offer enough thanks. Thank You Master for enriching my life the way You have. Thank You for helping to bring enlightenment to this world. Thank You for connecting all those who follow You and practice Your teachings reach the higher levels of Cosmic development.”

I wrote some more. “Dear all US presidents and governors and government representatives who honored me on that day and gave us this Day to celebrate and in other occasions as well. I thank you for the recognition, but my donation, which was my duty, or anything else I do good for the world or to any being, it was considered by myself as my duty anyway. And I’m always grateful to God for the chance, for the opportunity, for the fortune to be able to do these good deeds. I know surely, it’s not because of my donation; because your country is rich and powerful, and surely many others would be willing and happy to contribute much more to your government, or your citizens, or your country, for any cause, any time. My contribution was so humble, so little, compared to that. But I think it is God who had spoken through your pure faith and humility of heart. And I thank God through you, but I thank you also. May God bestow upon you honor manifold.” I thank all worldwide well wishes as well, and enjoyable performances today, as extra.

Supreme Master Ching Hai Day reminds all of us to remember God at all times and to help elevate the World. I’m glad that the Ching Hai Day has, or had, or will have inspired you to do good things, to be noble and kind to all our co-inhabitants, including animals, insects, bees. These are helpful to us, and worms even. Because of this day, I was very touched. It dawned on me that this is a very significant day, significant meaning. So I wanted to really thank the American government today for this Day, as I truly understand and truly realize that they really meant what they did. This is what I wrote. “Dear Americans, When I got the ‘World Spiritual Leadership Award,’ I didn’t think much about it. …Because of this, because of this honoring ceremony and recognition, we have hope for our peaceful planet. Because, if the government of the USA is so pure-hearted like that, we have hope and trust in the government of the USA and the government in other countries for peace and the spiritual upliftment of mankind. It took me all these years to grasp the significance of that Supreme Master Ching Hai Day, 22nd of February, 1994. Even though I didn’t care so much about worldly fame, I am so happy today, to remember and thank the Americans and the government for this honor.”

“And to meet Her in person was really surreal, and so loving and so respectful. She has so much respect and love for artists, and for animals, and for the earth, and everything that means so much to me and it was very surreal. She’s beautiful inside and out.” “Supreme Master, She is constantly reminding me that love and respect is a communication and a language that everyone can speak. As long as they’re opening their eyes and their ears. And the world is a much brighter place knowing that She’s in it.” “Supreme Master is a force of nature. And that’s what’s unique about Her. Here is this, I don’t want to say a little, there is this compact Woman, Who has the power of a ten-story giant. She convinces people with warmth and love. I get to see You years apart, and You don’t change. And it’s not that Your body doesn’t change, and Your love doesn’t change. It gets stronger. And that is a blessing for You and for us.”

Next, we have a very special poem recitation by our fellow Association member. She will read the poetry of Sheikh Baha’i, a 16th century poet scholar, philosopher and architect expressing the search for God through the Master. “I did not understand. but I feel so touched. (Thank You so much, Master.) I’m crying. Thank you all of the Iranians. I wish I can see all of you one day. Please say my love to all the Iranians.” The next performance is a dance entitled “Song from Đồng Tháp” by fellow initiates from Âu Lạc. “Beautiful, come. It’s good, it’s good. It’s a beautiful and natural dance today. Beautiful and natural, OK!” Next, she will be performing “When in Love” from “Pebbles and Gold” composed by Supreme Master Ching Hai. Our grand finale program is the “Fan Dance” by the Chinese initiates, titled “A Good Beginning.” The dance symbolizes a good beginning of a new age, which opens a peaceful avenue for a vegan world. “Master, Happy Supreme Master Ching Hai Day!” “Happy Supreme Master Ching Hai Day to everybody.”

On February 24, 2019, a joyous celebration was held at the New Land Ashram in Taiwan, also known as Formosa in commemoration of the 25th anniversary of Supreme Master Ching Hai Day. Master also graced the occasion. We now invite you to enjoy this jubilant celebration with us. “Recently, Supreme Master Ching Hai shared the fantastic news that She has created a New Heaven, especially for Her disciples. Our first performance will be a response to this message. The performance is called ‘Brightness,’ which will interpret how people regain freedom.” “Our next performance expresses this joyful feeling that we felt when we learned of the good news of the Promising New Heaven. Let's welcome the dance ‘A Joyful Song.’” “Next is a song adapted from a poem in the poetry collection ‘Pebbles and Gold,’ by our Beloved Supreme Master Ching Hai.” “The next spectacular show brought by the Taipei center is ‘Zhuo Dance,’ a Tibetan dance of Chinghai province, China.”

“So how did You first get into meditation?” “I meditated when I was even young already without knowing, without any teacher. And then as you grow up and you see so much suffering in the world, you just wonder why and what you can do. Then that's how I began searching - in books, in church, in temple, and looking for gurus and looking for answers. And once I found it, I just stick to it. There's no other way that I can help, so this is the best way, the Quan Yin (inner Heavenly Light and Sound Method). They liberate themselves.” “What kind of artwork are you focusing on these days? Poetry or painting or…What's interesting to You right now? “Right now, I'm not interested in anything because I don't have time. All the artwork or the poetry, I wrote or I made when I was younger, when I had less disciples. Right now, I don't really have time. Also, I have to meditate a lot. Our world is in danger. I have to balance a little bit with the negative and positive.”

With the commission of a great art dealer and book publisher, Ambroise Vollard, Mr. Chagall initiated his world renowned “The Bible” illustrations project in 1931. It’s considered one of his greatest masterpieces. In 1938, he painted White Crucifixion, an oil on canvas. In the following years, Mr. Chagall produced many other celebrated works. At the age of 80, Mr. Chagall painted two monumental murals for the lobby of New York’s Metropolitan Opera House, at Lincoln Center; The Sources of Music and The Triumph of Music. On March 28, 1985, while working on a tapestry for the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, he passed away at his home in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France, at the age of 97. Mr. Marc Chagall enriched the world by producing a vast collection of images and poetry, featuring biblical themes and memories of everyday life.

“There was one bird who came into my garden. She was spotted all over the body. And she walked with me like she knew me forever. And one day I said, ‘Wow! You’re so beautiful. Can I show you on TV? The way you walk with me and friendly.’ She said, ‘No. Please don’t. People might capture me.’ Then I woke up, I said, ‘That’s for sure.’ They talk to me in such a way it amazes me in English, in their English. I mean inside, a telepathic way, not speaking. Their English is, my God, it’s better than mine. And they use words that I didn’t use before, that I don’t often use. Very high English. Oh my God. I can spend all my life with animals.” “No matter what I say, love is felt inside. I truly appreciate that you came from such a long way here. Despite your schedule, your family and everything. And without further ado, may I invite you to dinner, to my humble little kitchen. Let’s go now!”

The Russian-French artist Marc Chagall was hailed as one of the giants of European Modernism in the visual arts, during the 20th century. Love and religion, and then later, peace and humanity, were the prominent subjects in his work, presented in a dreamlike, lyrical or metaphorical way. How did Marc Chagall begin his artistic journey? Let’s go back to his origins. He was the eldest of nine children. Considering that his parents were observant Hasidic Jews, religion played an important role in his family, and later became an enduring source of inspiration for his art. At the age of 13, he was enrolled in a Russian high school, where a passion for art formed in his heart. Marc’s formal training in art began when the renowned realist artist Yehuda Pen, of Vitebsk. In 1910, Marc moved to Paris to further his studies. Paris was then the center of international arts and culture. The lively and thrilling artistic atmosphere, cultural activities, and everything else about Paris Stimulated the young artist. Marc Chagall’s paintings often featured his beloved wife. Bella was his muse, as well as the bride in many of his paintings. Flowers are another constant subject in Mr. Changall’s paintings. “His work has a kind of universality to it, which traverses cultures, to a kind of instantly understandable theme.”

“The music really lifts your soul up. And soothes your heart so much. When I’m working very hard, even myself, of course I have inner music anytime 24/7. But when I’m working too hard in this physical planet, I still need to play a little bit like mandolin or something. Then I feel relaxed. Physically relaxed. The soul is different. The mind different. But the physical, when I play a little music afterwards, I feel relaxed, feel less stressed, and then I can continue. I take my mandolin to my cave even, believe it or not. I play in a cave.” “Many animals they have so much talent, so much telepathic ability. They can see beyond what we can see. But they don’t show it. They hide their talents. They worry, it’s for security reason. If they have too much talent or too much beauty, other people might want them, take them away from us and things like that, or abuse their talents. And my dog, when she speaks English, oh! We showed it on TV, she said, no. And then later I had to tell her, ‘We have to sacrifice. Even if something’s not good, we have to do it. It’s for the world, for all the other dogs, so people know that dogs are intelligent.’ Then she said OK. I knelt in front of her and begged her and kissed her paw, and then she said OK.”

“I'm so happy to see you love each other so much. Such a love that I can even see it. It's funny, right? People say you can't see love, you cannot explain love, you cannot feel love, but I can see it. I can see it on the stage. Love you cannot act. Love you guys. I'm so happy.” “I never thought you would come, maybe you'd come, but one or two people. I never thought that you all come like this. Such a love I feel, love I feel before you came already. I don't even look at you. I don't look picture. Sometimes it comes back to my mind and I feel so much love between us, like we are family or something. Like best friend or something. I really love you guys so much. I wish I have more luck. I wish I had more luck so that I have more time. I mean, luck meaning more time to spend with people like you.”

We welcome back Mr. Christian Adda as he speaks about how the African Cultural Centre welcomes project proposals from artists, and supports the artists in bringing their projects to fruition. “We have a lot of them. We try to sort them out so that it stays in the vision of what we want to do, of promoting African culture and making this culture known.” As Mr. Adda explains, media plays an important role in cultural development and cultural appropriation. “So, we believe and are convinced that the media must be motors to convey all that is art or all that is cultural heritage. So, we are convinced that culture, knowing one’s culture, helps us to go beyond our potential.” The African Cultural Centre strives to serve as a bridge between Moroccan officials and Sub-Saharan communities. “We want to merge and we also want to build bridges. So, the Cultural Centre started here, and we will build bridges to other countries; and create these bridges so that we can start from our cultures to get answers for the development of our continent. We will participate much more in finding solutions, African solutions.” Supreme Master Ching Hai: “Lovingly contribute US$20,000 further support this uniting and comforting centre for the Africans.”

“When we look at You, we see Your spirit, we see Your energy, we see Your aura, we see Your heart.” “I am beautiful and I love myself. Truly I don’t feel any older, I said. Just work too hard sometimes. But I really appreciate my lifestyle, like vegan and meditation. Because if the way I work, The way I work, if same age people, I think nobody can bear it. But I feel OK. I’m surprised. It's awesome that you have personal experience like that. Many people don't even know about this. That's what people call dying. But for us, it's just like a game. It's looking forward to leaving the body and then go somewhere, have more fun, more happiness and more légère (light), feel lighter instead.” “Everything is beautiful. Beautiful food, beautiful hotel, beautiful arrangements, beautiful speakers and art and performers. What a blessed evening. Honestly, our hearts are filled with joy.”

Let's hear more from Ms. Williams-Crosby in her talk titled: “Making an Act of Conviction - With God[All] These Are Possible.” “Supreme Master Ching Hai. I want to thank You so much for allowing my family to be part of Your family. It’s a great blessing. And to be able to feel so much love and respect is a great gift. I stand here today because of an act of conviction that I made to God on September 19th, 1977. Well, I never looked back after that act of contrition. I’ve been a vegan for 40 years. I also now produce faith-based film shorts. And that’s my way of giving back by spreading God’s messages. So for me, I can’t get through a day unless I know I have connected. And Supreme Master Ching Hai, through all Your teachings, You have shown a great Light, inner pathway for people that have faith. Because then we get stronger and stronger.” “It's just like you want a strong body, you got to put a little resistance on those muscles to build. Our spirit needs a little resistance, a little trouble, so we can work through that. Because in times of great trouble, miracles do happen. Thank you.” “Wow! Very interesting.”