| Nature is crying out for
help. Industrial advancement is rapidly depleting
our natural resources, while air and water pollution
is endangering the lives of all living beings.
The climate changes we have instigated are bringing
hurricanes and floods to many areas of the world.
These events are serious warnings and we must
pay attention to them. What can we do for Mother
Earth? What can we do for our children? Protecting
the environment is the only answer.
Environmental protection and preservation is
of the utmost importance and the task must begin
with each individual. In August 1990, Dharma Master
Cheng Yen began a series of lectures called “A
Blessed Life.” As the audience applauded
at the end of her lectures, she told them to “Use
your applauding hands to protect the environment.”
Master Cheng Yen talked about sorting garbage
and recycling. She spoke of cherishing our natural
resources. A young woman in the audience was so
moved that she immediately took action. She began
recycling and urged her neighbors to follow her
lead. She asked them to sort paper in order to
recycle as many different types as possible. She
donated the funds she collected from recycling
to Tzu Chi. This cycle of “turning garbage
to gold and gold into love” has inspired
many people.
How do we protect the environment? First, we
must start with ourselves, by examining our own
habits. We must change our behavior and stop creating
unnecessary waste. For example, buy more re-usable
containers and utensils and always carry a travel
mug to reduce the use of plastic bottles and disposable
cups. Secondly, we must cherish the Earth’s
resources by recycling any and all materials possible,
such as paper, plastics, glass, aluminum and steel.
Not only does this help to prolong our limited
supply of natural resources, but it also helps
extend the life of landfills, waste reduction
and waste treatment facilities.
The number of Earth-loving Tzu Chi volunteers
grew as they joined in this movement, “turning
garbage to gold and gold into love.” Soon
they realized the spiritual benefit of protecting
the environment. As they began learning about
the delicate ecological balance of nature through
their efforts, they inspired others to join in.
They found that the physical act of picking up
garbage and recycling helps them shed their inner
worries. This “spiritual recycling”
transforms the inner souls of individuals. Not
only is keeping our Earth clean a vital activity,
it also helps our bodies become more fit and our
minds more pure.
Tzu Chi’s innovative recycling ideas began
in Taiwan and have spread all over the world.
In 2003 alone, Tzu Chi’s 40,000 environmental
volunteers helped recycle 123,000 tons of reusable
materials in Taiwan. In addition, 57 million plastic
bottles got a new lease on life. The efforts of
its volunteers not only help sustain neighborhood
recycling programs, but their success has also
inspired Tzu Chi volunteers all over the globe
to take part and educate others.
Besides calling for waste reduction and recycling,
Master Cheng Yen also called for Tzu Chi’s
construction projects to be “green.”
For example, someone wanted to donate a piece
of land near the Hualien Carp Pond to build the
Tzu Chi Medical College in the early 1980s. When
Master Cheng Yen saw this land, she decided not
to accept the donation in order to preserve its
natural beauty. Another example came after the
Sep. 21, 1999 earthquake in Taiwan. The tent houses
Tzu Chi built to shelter the thousands of people
left homeless were modular and re-usable. Because
the earthquake left hundreds of schools damaged
or destroyed, in response, Tzu Chi established
Project Hope and rebuilt 51 schools. Each school
is a green building. The designs maximize natural
lighting and ventilation; reclaim rainwater; preserve
open spaces; and use interlocking pavers instead
of sealed concrete walkways. The surface of the
Earth is like a person’s skin that needs
to “breathe,” so the spaces between
the pavers not only help to keep the ground covering
from overheating, but it also allows water to
seep into the ground, which helps to maintain
soil quality.
The Earth is like a mother who nurtures us and
feeds our souls. Let us be grateful children.
Cherish Mother Earth’s natural resources
and let her continue to care for future generations.
We welcome you to begin right now. Come join us
and become an environmental volunteer.
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