The world of Tzu Chi (Vol.108)

01 TZU CHI 108 By Dharma Master Cheng Yen from January 1 to 12, 2019 Translated by Max Siew aster’s Teaching We should put a stop to actions that are wrong. Never stray from the right direction. Always keep in mind that serving humanity is the top priority and don’t waste a minute to do good deeds. T he NewYear has just passed and the Chinese NewYear is just around the corner. It is during this time that I make my Dharma trip throughout Taiwan, presiding over year-end blessing and volunteer commissioning ceremonies. I fervently prayed that everyone would be blessed with peace and get wiser in the coming year. In the past year, natural disasters around the world were occurring at an alarming rate. At the worldwide climate change conference organized by the UN and held in Poland at the end of last year, the delegates attending the conference came to a conclusion that air pollution [especially in cities and their surrounding areas] had reached critical proportions due to heavy and uncontrolled industrialization. The consequences were indeed dire as natural disasters were getting more and more serious. The problem that weighed heavily on the minds of the experts was the melting of the polar ice caps caused by the warming up of North and South Poles. Should this happen, low- lying cities/towns would be severely impacted. Then, what are the measures we can adopt to curb this menace? The answer lies in reducing pollution and carbon emissions, like those from industries. Moreover, we should place emphasis on environmental protection. Delegates fromover a hundred countries acknowledged the importance of environmental protection to tackle the problem. But unfortunately, they could not reach a consensus on the pace of reducing carbon emissions. This is mainly due to national interest that prioritizes the development of industrialization, and it seems to override environmental protection. Tzu Chi not only recognizes the importance of recycling in the effort to reduce carbon emissions, but it also actively practises what it preaches. Recycling work carried out by the volunteers is indeed admirable. They did not hesitate to share their experiences and practical tips in recycling with others. They also pointed out that two effective ways to reduce greenhouse effect, which causes climate change, are recycling and going vegetarian. For more than 20 years, Tzu Chi has been collecting trash for recycling purpose. Initially, Tzu Chi people were bewildered as to why Master placed so much emphasis on collecting trash. At that time, they failed to understand the importance of recycling inmaking a cleaner Earth. The slogan then was: “Converting trash into cash, and cash becomes loving-kindness which pervades every corner of the world.” Nowadays, recycled items do not fetch a high price, but this does not deter volunteers Never Pass Up an Opportunity to Do Good