Words of Wisdom from Master Cheng Yen 證嚴法師叮嚀語

Promoting Vegetarianism Earnestly and Actively 推素不懈願力行

看看天下事，天下事多啊，尤其是環境的無常，這種國土危脆、人生無常，現在我們所看到的天災、人禍，還有現在的疾疫、疾疫，看不到、摸不著，全球經濟大家都受影響，貧窮的人，增加了。(新)冠狀病毒到現在，一直一直我都在說，非人可擋，唯有人人要虔誠，人人的虔誠地表現，是在我們的生活態度中，我們的生活離不開衣、食、住、行，我們穿的衣服，我們不只是現在全身都要防。

Take a look around the world, there are truly many things happening, partially, the impermanence of the environment shows that the land is fragile and life is impermanent. Nowadays, there are natural and manmade disasters, which are visible to the eye, and outbreaks of diseases, which are invisible and without form. Because of the global economy, everyone has been affected, and more people are in poverty.

看看我們的醫療，醫師，我們的志工菩薩，在醫院進出的，我們都要很特別小心，防護衣，醫生、護士，站在第一線的要提高警覺，志工菩薩要走入醫療，靠近醫病之間，也不能輕忽掉，也要很重視，同樣也要隔離、保護著，尤其是口罩，尤其是勤洗手，我們該注意的非注意不可，這就是在我們的穿、戴都要注意，不能輕忽掉。還有在吃的，盡量可以在家裡吃飽飽。像最近，我們一群(慈濟)菩薩回來精舍，幫忙除草，幫忙整理環境，大太陽底下，我若過了九點，就會要隨師(師父)去說，向師姊，叫他們進來了，向師兄，叫他們休息了，但是大家總是那樣地發心，都說：不會啦，樹下，不會啦，有風。其實太陽會咬人，好熱，這都是大家很甘願在付出，為了環境整齊美，為了環境衛生好，不要草長起來就會(有)蚊蟲，被咬到了也會有被感染。這都是現在，科技也發達了，認知、常識也升高了，我們知道如何保護身體，這才是真正的健康之道，我們的(慈濟)菩薩，要回去我都會說，家裡吃飽才去坐車，不要帶著在車上吃，總是家裡安全衛生多了，公共場所，吃總是擔心一點，何況在醫療還是要提高警覺，同樣要謹慎，所以衣、食，衣服要穿好，防範要注意，吃，就要好好地要很特別要注意，這衛生空間，吃的東西等等，都要注意，行動，該志工能到的，該到的地方，不該到的要守好規矩，我們有這樣的規則守好，我們才能去輔導病患的家屬，你要進來，你要這樣、這樣，要守這樣的規矩，這也可以保護著家屬的平安，他知道有這樣的常識，他也要有這樣地防範，回家才能平安。

Since the rise of COVID-19, I have been saying that no one can stop it; the only way for it to end is for everyone to be sincerely pious. People can express their sincere piety through the attitude of how they live their life. Clothing, food, housing, and transportation are necessities of our daily life. The clothes we wear….. We need to protect every aspect of our body. Take a look at our hospital, those who go in and out it, such as doctors and volunteers, make take extra precaution. Doctors and nurses wear isolation gowns; those working on the frontline need to raise their vigilance. Our volunteers serve in the hospital and are in close proximity with doctors and patients, so, please don’t overlook this aspect. Please pay close attention to it, keep a good distance, and stay protected. We especially have to wear face masks. And wash our hands often. We must pay attention to what needs to be done. We have to be careful with what we wear. Let’s not overlook this. In terms of eating, we should try to eat at home as much as possible. Recently,, a group of Tzu Chi volunteers came to the Abode the help weeding and take care of the landscape. The sun is blazing hot. After 9AM I would tell my monastic disciples the have the volunteers come inside and take a break. Yet, volunteers are always very earnest and say, “It’s all right. We work under trees, and there’s a breeze.” Actually, the sun is very fierce, and it’s very hot. Yet, they are very willing to give of themselves to keep the landscape pretty and the environment clean so that grass won’t grow too tall and attract insects. If people are bitten by insects, there’s a chance of getting an infection. Nowadays, with technology becoming more advanced, people’s knowledge has also increased. We know how to protect our body’s, that’s the way to keep ourselves healthy. When volunteers are leaving the Abode, I would always say, “Eat at the Abode before going on the train. Don’t bring a bento box and eat on the train. Eating at the Abode is safer and more sanitary. Im worried about them getting infected while eating at public places. Not to mention the volunteers serving at hospitals they must also heighten their vigilance. In terms of clothing and food, we must be careful with what we wear to prevent being infected. We also need to be especially careful about eating, such as the sanitation of where we eat and what we eat. Whatever we door wherever we go, we would do what we are supposed to do and follow rules not to go to places where we are not supposed to go. Only by setting a good example can we help the family of patients and tell them, “In the hospital, it’s necessary for you to follow regulations.” Doing this helps protect patients’ family and reassure their well-being. After they have this kind of knowledge, they can protect themselves accordingly and return home safety.

這就是現在，對於這一波的疾病，我們要很小心，(新)冠狀病毒無形，但是他還沒有，還沒有停歇，他還是不斷不斷在擴散中，學者也在提醒大家，在既已經有的這一波，不要輕視它，以為他已經過去，就很大意，還要再更提高警覺，有第二波的也會很快速。昨天中部，南投一群(慈濟)菩薩歸來，他們大家分享推素，推善容易、推素難，可是人人都鍥而不捨，還是繼續要推，他知道這種道理的最終點，師父說，非推不可，這大道理在裡面，他們理解了，他們回來再發心立願。是啊，人人要發心立願，世間物，沒有用不到的物，那世間人沒有無用的人，人人都可以用，但是人人都要做好事，做好事要改變整個地球的生態，或者是也要好好地呵護著地球，它的乾淨健康，都離不開我們吃的東西。

Right now, paying close attention to the situation of the COVID-19. The coronavirus is invisible and has yet to die down; it has kept on spreading. Specialists also warn people not to underestimate this current pandemic or slack off because we think it has already come to its end; people should stay vigilant even more in case a second wave is coming soon. Yesterday, volunteers from Nantou in Central Taiwan came to the Abode. They shared with us how they have been promoting vegetarianism. It’s easier to promote charity work than to promote vegetarianism, however, every one of them has been promoting vegetarianism with persistence and will continue to do so. They understand the ultimate goal of doing this, for they have heard me say that we must promote vegetarianism. There is a great principle behind the teaching, they understand that and they came to the Abode to reaffirm their vows. Indeed, everyone should aspire and make vows. In our world, there is not a thing that is not useful. Likewise there is no one who cannot do something useful in our world. Everyone can do something useful. However, each one of us must do good deeds. Let us do good deeds to transform the earth’s ecosystems. Another thing we can do is to sincerely love and care for our earth, for its cleanness and wellbeing are in separably linked to the food we eat.

人間菩提 Life Wisdom 20200615：https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEg_2IllALE