Date: September 8th, 2010 (Wednesday)
Lecturer: Master Zheng-Yan
Subject: Expressing Gratitude to Recycling Volunteers感恩環保二十年
Hello, everyone.
This is our Wolong St. (臥龍街) recycling station.
This is the first time I am here and I am very moved by what I see.
In every corner of the recycling station, there are truly many treasures to be found.
Many things that our volunteers collected look brand-new again, once they were repaired and put on display.
We’re very blessed to have this space and I feel even more blessed to have so many recycling volunteers like you here.
See how you’ve collected and sorted all these recyclables and turned them into useful things again.
I often speak of how we can collect the money we get from selling recyclables and use it to support Da Ai TV in producing wholesome programs for people around the world to watch. (過去我常說，垃圾變黃金，黃金呢？(變愛心)，愛心，接下來呢？(化清流)，化清流，就繞著全球，全世界都看得到)
This is how we can dedicate ourselves to doing recycling with all our heart and love and set an example for people around the world.
Through the example we set(我們以身作則), we’re able to inspire people worldwide to lend helping hand to do recycling.
Only when everyone pitches in to do recycling can our climate conditions gradually return to normal and our planet be in good health.
I know that all of you spend a lot of time doing recycling every day.
You give of yourselves so diligently.
What you do is a good deed and it is truly praiseworthy.
That’s why I say “thank you” to you every day.
Every day when I watch Da Ai TV’s program about recycling volunteers, I will quietly thank him or her in front of the TV.
I am thanking you on behalf of the Earth and everyone in the world for working so hard to protect our environment, through the work you do.
I am truly very grateful.
Although this place is small and cramped, as the Chinese saying goes
“A small house brings harmony and wealth”. (看到我們這個地方，雖然窄小，不過有所謂，窄屋才會富)
Buddhism does not teach us to go after material wealth.
What I wish to say is that we are all spiritually very wealthy because our hearts are full of loving-kindness.
And through the work you do, you’re practicing spiritual cultivation while also cherishing and protecting the Earth and bringing peace to humankind.
Indeed, only when everyone is safe and well can there be peace upon earth.
(我們佛法不是說求世間財的富，師父要跟大家說的是我們富有愛心，大家都很富有、富有愛心，大家都是為慧命，和為我們要如何來疼惜地球，如何能讓人類平安而努力，人類的平安是我們的平安)
Yesterday, when I arrived in Taipei, I visited seven recycling stations in total, and what I saw truly touched me.
For those at the recycling stations I didn’t visit, please forgive me, as there just wasn’t enough time for me to do that.
This time, the most important purpose of my trip is to visit our recycling stations as this is the 20th year of our recycling efforts.
I am truly very grateful as you, our recycling bodhisattvas, are truly doing the work with all your heart.
Not only have you been inspired to do recycling, but you’ve also been giving a lot of time and effort to do what you’re set your mind to do.For that, I must repeat how grateful I am to you again and again, from the bottom of my heart.
(這環保二十年的時間，真的是很感恩，有我們環保菩薩，環保菩薩的用心，不只是用心而已，你們是有心 有願 有力，三項具足，這樣全部投入下去，這很值得師父一再一再，向你們說感恩，是打從內心的感恩)
Every day, I am very grateful to you recycling volunteers.
I often refer to you as “grass roots bodhisattvas” as the roots of grass can protect the land.
Even when there is no rain, we can still see dew on the tip of each blade of grass early in the morning, which then flows down to the roots of the grass to moisten the land. So, as insignificant as grass may seem, it actually can protect the land.
(草根菩提你們知道，這就是在保護大地，若是沒有下雨的時候，你看草的尾端它都會有露水，它就是當露水一下來，就收入到大地來滋養大地. 所以看起來草是沒有什麼，其實草能保護大地)
A passage in the Lotus Sutra also says that: “a shower of rain can nourish grasses and trees, which can then help to moisten and protect the land.
Here, the rain refers to the Dharma.
When we take the Dharma into our heart, we must also put it into practice.
(所以《法華經》這麼說，一雨普潤，是小根小草，小樹大樹，都是能吸收雨水來滋潤大地，雨水就是比喻法，真正的法在我們內心，在我們的行動裡)
Everyone, I can see that you’ve truly take the Dharma into your hearts and further live it out in your daily lives as you give o f yourselves to do recycling.
Seeing the work you’ve been doing, I am indeed very grateful to you.
Apart from being grateful, I hope you can take good care of yourselves while doing the recycling work.
Your good health and safety is my blessing.
Do you want to give me your blessings?
If you do, then you must take good care of your health and safety for me.
To do that, you must have protective gears such as this glove.
When this was shown to me, I took a careful look to see if it would be useful when doing recycling.
There are different sizes for everyone.
So this is one of the gears especially made for you and you must all use them.
Furthermore as you are constantly bending down to pick up things, I don’t want you to injure your back in the long run.
As many of you are getting on in age, you must protect yourselves.
So this is my present to you.
It’s a gift for you from me.
This back brace is made from bamboo charcoal.
Please do use it, when you’re bending down to lift heavy things.
Please do use it, alright?
There is also this polo shirt, which has a lot to do with you as these are made from the PET bottles that you have collected and recycled.
Thanks to group of our volunteers who are also entrepreneurs, these bottles can be processed into fibers for making clothing, blankets, etc.
Your love and dedication has not only allowed us to make these things, but most importantly, with what you’re doing, you’ve set a fine example for people around the world.
This is because the proceeds from the recyclables, you collect goes to support Da Ai TV and on Da Ai TV, every day, we can see our volunteers in different places single-mindedly (一心一志) dedicating themselves to doing recycling, which is very touching.
So, without needing to leave Taiwan, you’re traveling around the world every day as your appear on Da Ai TV in many countries at the same time.
So, on Da Ai TV, we can see our recycling volunteers worldwide.
So, if Da Ai TV wants to film you doing recycling, you must smile at the camera and let all our viewers around the world see you and follow your example.
I am truly very grateful for your dedication on to bring Tzu Chi’s recycling work to where it is today.
This is why I have so many words of gratitude to say to you all.
Yesterday, I saw so many things that touched me and I’ve remembered each of them.
I am here to thank you all today.
Everyone should be grateful at all times.
We must be grateful to the world to Nature for all that she provides for us, and to all living beings.
We must also cherish the Earth by doing what I’ve been reminding you to do:
“Walk gently so as not to hurt the land”.
If we bear this in mind at all times, we will cherish and protect everything around us.
(我們要時時用感恩心，要感恩天地恩，還要感恩皇王水土恩，一切眾生恩，我們要疼惜大地，我們就要像師父所說，走路要輕，怕地會痛，我們如果常常都有這一分心，所有的物命，我們都會去疼惜)
All in all, we must seize the time (把握時間) we have now.
It is truly remarkable that you’ve been doing recycling for 20 years.
I am very grateful for your continued support in doing the work I want to do.
Thanks to all that you have done, Tzu Chi’s recycling work has now been seen by people in the international community, especially since we have even developed ways for PET bottles to be processed and remade into clothing that we can wear.
I am very grateful for that indeed.
Apart form clothing, we also make blankets from PET bottles.
In just around two or three years, hundreds of thousands of these blankets have been distributed in numerous countries to people affected by disasters to use.
So, you’ve formed good affinities (結緣) with many people.
(Source: Da Ai TV 人間菩提)
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