In today’s news, Myanmar cyclone victims receive US$300,000 in aid from Cambodia, large numbers of jellyfish-people wash ashore in France due to rising water temperatures, engineers from United States generate solar energy in space and send it back to Earth, mandatory health warnings to appear on alcohol in Ireland, hygienists provide pro bono dental work to vulnerable Canadians, global vegan food and beverage market to rise to over US$100 billion by 2032, and former poacher becomes turtle friend protector in Côte d'Ivoire.
I have a few safety tips for parents out there. Many experts say it’s okay to let a child who is 10-11-years-old stay at home alone for short periods of time, if they are mature enough and not afraid. If you do leave them alone, try to make your house youngster-friendly so you don’t have to worry as much. Create a list of emergency phone numbers, including your cell phone and those of nearby family members’, neighbors’, the local fire department and police. Prior to allowing your tween to stay at home alone or babysit a younger sibling, role-play or talk through various scenarios like, “What do you do if a stranger rings the doorbell?” “What do you do if the fire alarm is going off? “What do you do if the power goes off?” and “What do you do if your younger sibling is throwing a temper tantrum?” For your first outing, make sure it’s short—approximately 30 minutes to an hour. When you return, ask them how things went at home and talk through any issues or concerns that they encountered. If they did well with the run-through, slowly increase the amount of time you’re away.
Now, it’s time to enjoy the cheerful presence of the joke of the day. It’s entitled, “Good News.”
A large train was traveling smoothly for some time. Then, all of a sudden, it stopped. The engineer decided to inform the passengers of what was happening:
“Ladies and gentlemen, I have some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that the engines have failed and we will be stuck here for some time. The good news is that this is a train and not a plane.”
?!
And now we have a heartline from Khôi Vĩ in Âu Lạc, also known as Vietnam:
Dear Master and Supreme Master Television team! Beloved Master, this April we had two meaningful days. Those days are our spiritual birthdays, being exactly one year since we got initiated by You. I remember in the beginning, I was a little bit nervous about arranging the meditation time and my work, so that I could get used to sitting in meditation. Therefore, during the first few days at that time, the most important thing for me was to pray to God, to Master to arrange so that everything would be favorable for me to have the most available time to meditate, and my wish came true and everything was arranged more than wonderfully!
During that time, we were taken care of by the older initiates who told us everything in detail. That was the time which we treasured so much, because we started to form good habits and get used to the new routine. We were blessed by You to be able to work as hosts for some programs of Supreme Master Television. Therefore, we are very elevated. Perhaps You knew our longing to come back to the original Home after being away from Home for so long, so You found the way for us to know You and bless us as new disciples. Those past days were so happy, full of blessings, which we even could not dream to have, but everything was all true.
On this occasion of our spiritual birthdays, we would like to wish You to be healthy, peaceful, and tranquil in every moment of Your life. We would like to thank You for bestowing on us the best gift in a human life, which is initiation. No matter how much we say, it will never be enough compared with the Love which You give to this Universe. Therefore, what we can only do is to practice diligently and be elevated by Your Grace. Thank You forever and ever, Disciple Khôi Vĩ from Âu Lạc (Vietnam)
Thankful Khôi Vĩ, We are happy to read of your experiences receiving initiation and settling into the practice of the Quan Yin Method of meditation. Master takes such wonderful care of us, especially as new initiates, when we are vulnerable, like a newborn chick emerging from the egg. May you and the contented Aulacese (Vietnamese) people always know peace and good fortune, in Divine Light. In Universal wisdom, Supreme Master TV team
P.S. Master lovingly replies to you: “Elated Khôi Vĩ, with much Love I would like to wish you a very ‘Happy Birthday.’ The journey after initiation never ceases to astound, as there is so much to see and experience beyond our little world here on Earth. Besides the wonders of meditation, being vegan blesses us in so many ways physically, mentally, emotionally, and especially spiritually. Without being vegan, we can never progress far, nor are we safe, as our karmic burden continues to intensify with each drop of blood we are responsible for. But you, my love, are free and liberated. I pray that you and abundant Âu Lạc (Vietnam) may be graced by blessings of the mighty Buddhas.”