Be Veg, Go Green, Save the Planet!

Change Ourselves to Save the Planet - Master Ching Hai

Mr. Roland Jung, Asia Affairs Advisor of the US Democratic Party: We are well aware that humankind’s daily habits and the changes of the sun are affecting the Earth’s climate in many ways. It is predicted that in 2010, the Earth’s climate will experience a massive change due to a great explosion of the sun’s sunspots. It has also been predicted the climate will cause an oil crisis, or kind of an oil shock. Therefore, it seems that there is a need for worldwide awareness and change concerning global warming. I would like to ask Your specific opinion and message concerning this. What do You think we need to do as preparation?

Master Ching Hai: Thank you, Mr. Jung. Against this kind of great upheaval of calamities, the only refuge that we can take is in Heaven’s grace, by being virtuous, compassionate and a true believer of God, and praying for God’s grace; then we can be saved. We should start to change our way of living now. We have to change. We have to. That’s the only way we can save ourselves and the planet, and the whole world and all the beings in it; because as the saying goes in ancient India, “Any nation that produces 10 great persons worthy in the eyes of Heaven will not know destruction.”

So, what is meant by 10 great personages? That means the person who is truly a human being: He is compassionate, he is spiritually elevated, and he is unconditional and selfless. He is serving others and remembers God. For doing that, we are a little bit far. So, if we really want to save the world, that’s the only way we can. Otherwise, even if we dig a hole into the mountain or under the ground to stay away from the sun’s heat, or we go up in the mountain to avoid the sea rising, there are other calamities that will be coming our way. Anyone who has any belief in any religion should study their scriptures again, and do exactly what is commanded therein because “As you sow, so shall you reap.” All the religions have told us that.

So, now we come back to the ancient saying in India that 10 persons who are virtuous can save a nation. How do we do this? In the ancient times, the nations were smaller than they are now and 10 persons in each country should be enough. But for our expanded community nowadays, we need more than 10 persons in a community. I would say it depends on the population also. New York, for example, we would call a nation in the old times. In New York, we probably need a million people to be virtuous, upright and spiritually elevated, in order to save New York.

So, I think we have to do it faster than what we are doing now. I’m glad the governments are doing something and all the celebrities, the distinguished people and organizations just like you today, are concerned and trying to push with all the vital actions to save the planet and to stop global warming. I’m very happy about that, but maybe we should move faster and take more action: The vegetarian diet is number one. Green energy is number two. Everyone must work together to be frugal and protect the environment and the animals. It’s not that difficult. It’s just the habits that we have to change, that’s all.