The world of Tzu Chi May-June 2022 (Vol.141)

TZU CHI 141 25 “H i, Pari! May I invite you to participate in our ‘Bento of Love’ initiative? Would you join us in saving Mother Earth?” In March 2022, Tzu Chi KL & Selangor launched the “Bento of Love” (BOL) initiative to promote vegetarianism and encourage more people to embrace a plant-based diet. When volunteer Chan Shi Yih extended an invitation to her colleague, Parimala a/p Ramasamy, highlighting its environmental benefits, the latter gladly joined her along with three other colleagues. For ten days, Shi Yih walked to the designated restaurant nearby to pick up the bento lunches and brought them back to the office to enjoy with her colleagues. She was overjoyed when Parimala told her, “I love the plant-based bento and I will order again next round!” To Shi Yih, this means an additional force in saving the planet and all lives. A new culinary experience During the Covid-19 pandemic, Master Cheng Yen said, “This is a severe disaster, but there are also crucial lessons to be learnt. The only way to ease the pandemic is by changing our diet habit and embracing vegetarianism—an Expression of Love and Compassion for Life.” Master urged the volunteers to promote and practise vegetarianism, for only through vegetarianism can we truly cultivate and demonstrate the all-embracing love. Thanks to Master’s reminder, the volunteers set in motion relentless initiatives to drive home the idea of vegetarianism in their respective communities. In addition to introducing the BOL to their families, friends and co-workers through social media platforms and chat groups, the volunteers also approached members of the public at community parks and commercial areas, inviting them to sign up for the BOL. Each cycle of the BOL runs for ten days over two weeks. Besides 26 communities in the Klang Valley, volunteers in Pahang (Kuantan and Mentakab), Sabah (Tawau, Sandakan and Kota Kinabalu) and Sarawak (Kuching, Miri, Bintulu, Sibu) also launched the BOL initiative. Some communities even saw the registration close within a day. With everyone’s collective efforts, a total of 2,306 people responded, and 23,060 bento meals were served. In order to provide a renewed impression about a plant-based diet, volunteers worked on enhancing the menu by adding a variety of natural ingredients. Tofu, mushrooms, tempeh, beans and other protein sources were complemented with vegetables, such as, broccoli, purple cabbage, cherry tomato, carrot, pumpkin and beetroot, for a colourful presentation packed with dietary fibre. With so much goodness, one would almost be certain to savour not only the food itself but also happiness when the lunchbox was opened. Even the young children were drawn to it. Janice from Puchong bears testimony to this. As a working mother, she has always wanted her children, who stayed home for online classes, to eat healthily. However, she hesitated in signing up for the BOL as her children disliked vegetables. After Chong Lee Hui and fellow volunteers shared with her the benefits of a vegetarian diet and assured her that the bento lunches would not only be nutritious but also delicious, she decided to sign up. Five days on, she told volunteers that her children actually loved the bento lunches and finished all the