By Taipei News Group,
Formosa (Originally in Chinese)
January 1, Golden Year 8 (2011), marked the 100th birthday of the Republic of China. On this special day, Supreme Master Ching Hai’s latest book The Love of Centuries, was released at a press conference held in Chanty Boulevard Plaza near Taipei 101, the ROC’s tallest office building. Numerous celebrities and distinguished guests graced the occasion expressing their congratulations, while some prominent personages shared their insights of the book through audiovisual messages. Dr. Eugene Chien, Chairman of the Taiwan Institute for Sustainable Energy and former Minister of Foreign Affairs, and of the Environmental Protection Administration, is deeply impressed with Master’s tireless efforts in mitigating global warming. He had met the Supreme Master at the UN Climate Change Conference in Cancun, Mexico, in November 2010. He imparted that Formosa has been listed as a high-risk country exposed to the impact of climate change, but the planet could be saved if people could, as Master advocates, change their lifestyles by adopting a plant-based diet and protecting the environment.
Mr. Karl Ku, former Director General of the National Central Library, expressed support for the movement of “Be Veg, Go Green 2 Save the Planet.” He spoke highly of The Love of Centuries, through which Master expresses Her true inner feelings from different perspectives. This anthology of poems helps readers perceive subtle changes in the environment. He said, “Read every word and verse of the book with your heart and you will find it a rewarding experience.”
Mr. Lamech, winner of the International Indoor Flora Competition at the 2010 Taipei International Flora Exposition, has been interacting with plants since childhood. He is able to feel the energy and needs of plants. From Master’s poems “Words of a Hen” and “Words of a Piglet,” he could discern Master’s sympathy for animals, Her respect for lives and Her all-encompassing love. He believed each poem to be from Master’s innermost voice and unreserved love for lives. As famous Taiwanese opera singer Ms. Tang Mei-yun pointed out, in this book Master examines emotions and feelings from different aspects, demonstrating Her compassion for sentient beings. The plant-based diet is a good way to nurture our compassion. “When you are truly compassionate to all sentient beings it is not hard to imagine that everything you do will touch people’s hearts.” She believed that what Formosa needs now is precisely the peacefulness, the genuine feelings and true benevolence that radiate from Master’s book. Ms. Fu Juan, another well-known performing artist, felt that everyone who has read this book would be deeply touched. “A Puppy’s Heart” especially reminded her of a puppy she once had and she can now better appreciate the true feelings between animals and humans. She said that everyone should appreciate the sentient world of animals with love.
The event reached its climax when Master,
wearing a pink, artificial fur coat, appeared through videoconference
to interact with the anxiously waiting guests and readers. Master congratulated
the Republic of China on her centennial and wished the country continued
prosperity. She presented Her new book as a gift for the country’s
centennial. Master also shared with everyone the essence of The Love of
Centuries. She said that as a child, She had loved Her pets, Her friends
and romantic love. All this represents our elemental love within. Loving
God is to love our original self. People like being in love and expressing
in words how they miss their loved ones. These feelings are very close
to how we miss God’s Kingdom. Since people cannot see or communicate
with God, they can only express their yearning for God by writing love
poems. Our souls might remember that they have had some loved ones at
certain places in their past lives. When they pass by these places, it
would awaken their memories. Or when one day they pass by their homes
in previous lives, they would also be inspired to write soul-stirring
verses. Poems are natural projections from the innermost essence of our
soul.
To watch Supreme Master Television’s coverage of this
videoconference, please visit:
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