|
| Environmental
Preservation at the Abode |
 |
| (Translated by
Douglas Shaw) |
|
"Cherishing and extending the 'life' of
material things is also a way of protecting all life and appreciating
your blessings." This is the basic concept that Master Cheng
Yen teaches her disciples. Since 1990, the Master has strongly
promoted the concept of environmental protection, especially through
recycling resources and sorting garbage. The resident nuns at
the Abode of Still Thoughts have been carrying this out ever since.
Garbage at the Abode is sorted into four categories:
- Compost: fruit peels, leaves, table scraps,
vegetable leaves, etc.
- Unrecyclable, burnable: tissue paper, rags,
wood, etc.
- Unrecyclable, unburnable: glass bottles,
styrofoam, plastic bags, nylon rope, etc.
- Recyclable: plastic soft-drink bottles,
milk bottles, steel cans, aluminum cans, etc.
The spirit of cherishing our resources
and protecting the earth is visible everywhere at the Abode of
Still Thoughts. Over thirty years ago, Master Cheng Yen taught
her disciples to use scraps of cloth to make baby shoes, thus
recycling resources and protecting the environment. After meals,
they rinse their rice bowls with water and then drink it in order
to use up every drop of oil and soup. In addition to decreasing
the need for dish detergent and reducing environmental pollution,
this practice also realizes the spirit of cherishing one's blessings.
Furthermore, residents at the Abode use soybean powder or ground
bean powder to wash their bowls and chopsticks; everyone can thus
eat with peace of mind, and it avoids using chemical detergents
and creating more environmental pollution. Although these are
only small measures, they are a good way to practice environmental
protection and to cherish our blessings.
|
