The Delightful Hours — Master Ou’s 2006 Birthday Party

On January 27, 2006, Master Ou’s birthday party was welcomed by the gentle sunshine of the California winter, by flourishing flowers and joyful smiles, and by pleasing, melodic music. The theme of the party was the encouragement of kindness and friendliness; as for the content of the party—it was plentiful!

It started at noon. Master Ou gave a brief yet profound lecture entitled “With a Heart Overflowing with Universal Love, We Can Live with Radiance.” After the lecture Master Ou and his students enjoyed the delicious, plentiful food.

On the dining table there were savory dishes prepared by Master Ou himself, including crispy roast chicken, Dong-Paul pork (which melted as soon as it got in your mouth), soft and smooth fried shrimp and eggs, tofu with vegetables, fried carp, and Ou-style salad. There were also sushi, fried shrimp, chicken slices, eggplant dumplings, sautéed mushrooms and yellow peppers, and dimsum, all prepared by local students. In addition, there was a dish of Italian sausage in tomato sauce prepared by Susan—arriving after a nine-hour flight from Florida!

During lunchtime we watched the video entitled “The Mysterious Jiuzhai and Huanglong,” about the trip last September to the Jiuzhai Valley in China. It was recorded by Mandy Huang and edited and narrated by Olivia Ou; the music in the video was composed by Master Ou and performed by Amy. As we watched the beautiful scenery on the screen and enjoyed the delicious food, we felt as if we were in a fairyland.

After lunch, Master Ou gave the first performance. He recited his poem “The Mysterious Jiuzhai and Huanglong” in Chinese; Paul followed, reciting it in English. Then Master Ou sang the poem with the melody he had composed, and after that Mandy also sang it, but with her own version of the music. Both songs were beautifully accompanied on the guzheng, a traditional Chinese stringed instrument (like a horizontal harp), by Amy. Everybody enjoyed the singing, which led the audience once again to travel around the mysterious Jiuzhai and Huanglong.

Before we woke up completely from the spell of the beautiful songs, we were caught up in the skit that Robert directed. It was excerpted from The Path of Life, Volume II, and was about the romantic love story involving Master Ou and his wife, Mandy. Although the actors had been chosen for their roles shortly before the play began, they all performed sincerely and devotedly, causing the audience to cheer; even Master Ou could not help applauding at the best part.

At three o’clock Master Ou led us in a group practice of Pan Gu Shengong. After it, the performances continued. Anne and a guest from France sang and played the ukulele; Winnie and Doris recited and sang another poem of Master Ou’s, “Chanting on the Beach in Bali”; Jessica sang the other poem of Master Ou’s, “I Spent My Holiday in Pattaya”. Finally, Jenny gave a truly professional performance on the guzheng that everyone imbibed to the full.

During the breaks, some sang karaoke, some shared their experience of practicing PGSG, some paid close attention while reading the most recent testimonials from PGSG students in China.

Everyone who performed at the party received an award, which was the DVD of Jiuzhai and Huanglong, and everyone in the party was given a bookmark with Master Ou’s calligraphy as a souvenir.

At eight o’clock the party ended with Master Ou’s singing “Sound-of-Sands Hill, Crescent-Moon Lake”. We blessed each other and made a date to meet again next year.

In addition, Many PGSG students who couldn’t come to the party—some from other states, some from overseas—made phone calls, sent e-mails, mailed greeting cards, had flowers and presents delivered. Although they couldn’t attend, their hearts were there.

In other locations PGSG students had their own celebratory parties for Master Ou’s birthday. They were saying: “Today is also our holiday. We will spend such a wonderful day singing and dancing.”

“With a Heart Overflowing with Universal Love, We Can Live with Radiance.”