20200722完整大愛精進行Curbing Our Desires for a Better World
Over the past half a year or so, I’ve been very worried every day. What do I worry about? Many matters. For example, climate change has brought about a lot of natural disasters. There is also the COVID-19 pandemic now. COVID-19 is contagious and spreads quickly, giving no hint of its presence. How did the outbreak occur? How does the disease spread among people? We humans are vulnerable to the virus. The pandemic is caused by people’s desires.
I mention that every day as if it were a daily routine like having meals. The virus is truly hard to describe, and it is not clear yet when the pandemic will end. Yet, I cannot but remind you that we humans are responsible for the crisis and that no one can stop the spread of the disease. So, we must be mindful.
The coronavirus outbreak occurred due to people’s desire for meat. We may contract diseases from what we eat. Many people like to eat wild animals, the so-called “mountain and sea delicacies” in Chinese. In truth, dishes with ginger, vegetables, and other plant foods are also very delicious. There are sea plant foods such as dried seaweed.
Plant foods are always available. Vegetarians can always enjoy “mountain and sea delicacies,” for instance vegetables and dried seaweed, etc. Yet, although there are abundant plant foods, many people insist on eating wild animals. Be it wild animals or livestock, they are all living beings. Due to people’s desire for meat, animals are killed and the land is polluted by animal waste.
I have said this over and over again. I have to. If people are not vigilant and continue to eat meat, we won’t be able to prevent diseases that are carried over by animals. Once an outbreak occurs, no one can stop its spread. To prevent an outbreak, we must turn all our knowledge into wisdom. I’m grateful to our Tzu Chi volunteers for loving all life and continuing to share with people the importance of vegetarianism. We must extend our love to all life and remember that life is precious.
We also cherish our resources. We have been doing recycling work for 30 years. Thanks to our DA.AI Technology company, we’ve launched a touring exhibition on eco-education. Our first stop was in Jiayi of southern Taiwan.
The solar panels can each generate 100W per hour. We use Li-ion batteries to store energy and power TV sets and other electrical equipment.
This section shows visitors how to save water. We’ve installed faucets so visitors can turn them on and see what saving water is about. Of course, we don’t waste any water. The water flowing from the faucets will be pumped up and reused.
With the authorization of the US-based Gorilla Foundation, we can use materials related to KoKo. Master often shares how KoKo warned us humans to protect Mother Nature.
KoKo the Gorilla is a major feature of our exhibition. KoKo could use more than 1,000 hand signs and would call on people to cherish the Earth. In our touring exhibition on eco-education, our Tzu Chi volunteers guide people to cherish resources as it is very important to do so.
Our volunteers in each exhibition section share how we reuse each type of recyclables. They also guide and inspire children by sharing all the true principles behind recycling.
We should love the Earth through recycling, saving energy, and reducing carbon emissions. As we humans damage Mother Nature, many animals have become endangered. We should stop damaging the Earth, which is home to animals.
Tzu Chi’s exhibition on eco-education provides comprehensive learning activities for children. For example, they learn about how carbon footprints are generated and how they can reduce carbon footprints in various ways related to food, clothing, housing, and transportation.
These principles are truly important, and we’ve shared them with many people in southern Taiwan. I hope everyone can cherish all resources on Earth. May you work hard to inspire more people to do so. Thank you all. To cherish all life and resources, we should begin by inspiring love. Thank you. I hope you head in the right direction in life by remembering to curb the desire for meat and cherish all resources. This is what we must strive for. My best wishes to you all. Thank you.