20230602以智導行淨身心Cherishing Mother Earth with Love and Gratitude
Indeed, events around the world have been reminding us all to be vigilant and sincerely pious. There are many disasters around the world and climate conditions are truly erratic. People’s minds are unsettled and turbulent, too. The world is filled with much suffering as it’s hard for people to tame their minds.
If we do not tame our minds, we’ll give rise to affiliations, bringing about suffering and disasters. The pressure brought by climate change has been felt all over the globe. Climate change is caused by people’s collective bad karma.
This is worrying. Due to our unawareness and ignorance, we humans give in to our greed and desires and act accordingly. So, we indulge in enjoyment, exploit resources and discard things, leading to the continuous increase of garbage. Such is a vicious cycle.
In truth, the Earth provides abundant resources for humanity. Yet, led by our ignorance and greed, we’ve been overexploiting resources, thus damaging the environment and bringing about disasters. This is the way of us humans. I often lament about how humans have been creating bad karma collectively.
We’ve been cutting down trees, including those hundreds of thousands of years old. As trees are continuously felled, deforestation has spread from flatlands to mountains. With the unceasing logging of trees, the climate has been affected.
People often say, “Humans can conquer Nature. “Contrarily, our unwholesome thoughts have led to climate change and the damage of the Earth. As we humans indulge in enjoyment, we’re extracted and consumed resources excessively, which is depleting the resources of future generations. Our generation has been overconsuming resources. If we goon like this, what will happen? We’ll fight each other for resources to the extent that war may occur around the world.
In this case, the Earth will again be devastated, and many people will be killed. This is how people go extremes. Just think. Such a disaster may occur sooner than expected. This is very worrying.
It’s lamentable how, instead of fulfilling our responsibility to care for the Earth, we humans are simply pursuing what we want by conquering others. Our ignorance has brought about many disasters around the world. I don’t know what can be done. I feel helpless as disasters are caused by people’s collective bad karma.
How wonderful it is if we’re all safe and well! If we harbor gratitude to the Earth, we can’t bear to damage it. We should be grateful to the Earth, so we won’t do damage to it. We must protect it with love and care. What can we do and what can’t we do? We should turn our knowledge into wisdom and tell good from evil. We should spread goodness and practice vigilance. We must be vigilant of what we can’t do and encourage others to practice goodness.
So, everyone, there’s much work for us to carry out.
Today is relevant more for vegetarianism and protecting the world.
Vegetables contains hig quality vitamins and minerals.
In Tzu Chi, we collect fruit peels to make compost for our school garden.
Vegetarianism helps our body and mind healthy.
With the climate clock counting down, we should not only work hard to protect the environment but also share with more people how vegetarianism can protect the Earth.
Only when we promote vegetarianism diligently can we change the environment of the Earth. We need to breathe. So do livestock. Breaths pollute the air and might carry germs. So, we al need to wear a mask. Those of you before me are all wearing a mask. As you’re far away from me and I’m giving a talk to people around the world, I can take off my mask temporarily. I hope our environment can become cleaner so everyone can be safe, well and at ease.
Therefore, we still need to protect ourselves. Tzu Chi members worldwide also need to protect and love themselves. Loving ourselves is protecting others. This is a principle that will never change. Everyone, please be mindful at all times.
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