“First, there was Wilbur… …then came Babe. And now… Sprig the Rescue Pig! Our hero starts this adventure tale on a truck bound for nowhere good… But this little pig escapes! ‘Run, Sprig, Run!’ Sprig discovers what it means to be a pig… …and meets a girl named Rory, and her mom.” What we just watched is a short introduction about a wonderful children’s book “Sprig the Rescue Pig” written by Ms. Leslie Crawford from San Francisco, USA. An experienced journalist and editor, Ms. Crawford also wrote another book “Gwen the Rescue Hen.” An animal lover, Ms. Crawford is a vegan and lives with her companions, Bix the dog, four pigeons and eight chickens, all of whom are rescues. Her books show us how amazing the animals are and why they deserve to be treated like family and friends. "Sprig the Rescue Pig" is Ms. Crawford’s first book. What kind of message is Ms. Crawford trying to convey through this story? “It was the idea to reach both children and their parents in a very gentle way to talk about, (and) really look at, who a pig is, a pig is not bacon or ham, and get to know this animal in a deeper way than maybe some children's stories do. Really this is as much as it's possible.” Pigs are so adorable. We wish all pigs in this world are safe and loved. Ms. Crawford shares with us the future world she envisions. “I can see that world so easily. That world is where we all really see each other with compassion and that we don't look at a plant or an animal or a person as something that's in service to us, but that we are all interested in their goodwill and giving them a good life just as we want.”

Did you know that March 20 is MeatOut Day? This campaign was started by Farm Animal Rights Movement or (FARM) in 1985 to honor and protect our animal friends, respect their rights to live, as well as introducing the plant-based diet. The main MeatOut message is clear: Take Action today for the animals. A group of vegan kids affiliated with the AnimalHeroKids.org charity are here to voice their concerns for the animals’ wellbeing. “I don’t think pigs like living on factory farms.” “When you look at them, they look very frightened. You can tell how scared they are.” “I feel that it’s very sad for these animals to get turned into food.” “The vegetarian population in South Korea has increased 10 times over the past decade to 1.5 million, and the vegan industry, which was limited to food, is expanding to all fields such as clothing and cosmetics. Being vegan is no longer difficult. Prepare flour, water, yeast, salt, sugar, grape seed oil, ketchup, vegan cheese, and toppings you prefer. Now I'm putting down the (vegan) cheese Vegan pizza is complete!” Three beautiful girls from Taiwan, also known as Formosa, will demonstrate for us how to make it at home. “Today, we are going to make the most classic food - vegan pearl milk tea. For brown sugar pearls: 100 grams of tapioca flour, 50 grams of brown sugar powder, and 65 grams of water.” “Now the dough is ready. Then you can make small pearls, medium pearls, and large pearls according to what you like. Now we are going to cook them.” “Apart from adding soy milk, we can also add tofu pudding to the pearls.” “Our pearls can be made from different fruits.” Here’s a toast to Bubble Tea for MeatOut Day! So, what can we do to celebrate MeatOut day? We can be vegan and encourage our family and friends to go meat free. We can send letters to our local government or newspaper and ask them to proclaim MeatOut day in our hometown.

Today is Mother’s Day, a day dedicated to all mothers for the comfort, protection, and guidance they have offered to children. For this occasion, a number of vegan kids have created their own unique expressions of love and gratitude toward their mothers. Let’s hear from vegan kids around the world expressing their love to their mothers and our beloved Supreme Master Ching Hai. “Thank you mum for your love, passion, and hard work for bringing me up as a vegan, telling me about the world, the universe and about Supreme Master Ching Hai, I love both of you. Wishing my mum, Supreme Master Ching Hai, and all mothers a very Happy Mother’s Day.” Up next, Saifa from Bangkok will perform a touching song “Mother of Mine.” “Mother, you gave me happiness, much more than words can say. I pray the Lord that Hes may bless you every night and every day…”On this day, while we send well-wishes to our mothers, we can not forget that animals have mothers too. Animals may appear different than us, but the bond between mothers and their young are the same as ours. “In another story, a mother sheep was about to be killed at a restaurant in China. She was with her son, a small lamb, and she was licking the tears from his face because he knew she was going to be killed. The waiter picked up the lamb and was shocked to find that he had been hiding the butcher’s knife underneath himself to save his mother’s life, hoping… When the restaurant owner heard what happened, he was so moved that he spared the life of mother and child and quit his business.”There is one holy Mother whom we forget to appreciate sometimes in our daily lives – Mother Earth. Supreme Master Ching Hai reminded us how much we are loved by Mother Earth in the following words. “Don't forget that we have a very beautiful home here for us and for our children. And for grandchildren, great-great grandchildren, it's a beautiful place, physically speaking, and it has all conditions to sustain life. And it offers us so much, so much. So much fun, so much beauty, so much love.”

Have you ever wondered about the life of a seed? Today, we have just the story on this subject, for you entitled, “Always Alive” written by Ms. Irene RialBou from Puerto Rico. “Little Whirlwind needed to reach the coast, so he could carry those who give oxygen to the Earth. For that reason, he stood impetuous between the wall and the road full of cars that came and went. Thus began the story of Wild Daisy…” Before we continue the story, let’s take a moment to learn how to plant flowers with Princess Sprinkles. “Hi, I’m Princess Sprinkles, and I’m going to teach you how to plant beautiful flowers, right here.” “As if she were a reflection of the stars on Earth, and so that everyone could share the dream of caressing them, Wild Daisy now spreads throughout the world. With her corolla of five, eight, thirteen, twenty-one, thirty-four or fifty-five petals, she protects herself from heat or cold. But she always, always, always finds her way.” “My name is Irene RialBou. I’m a Puerto Rican author. And I am the author of “Always Alive.” I’m a woman. I’m a daughter. I’m a mother, a grandmother, a sister, a friend, a human being. But foremost, I believe in peace, compassion, love. “Always Alive” is a story that follows the journey of a brave seed, last seed until it blooms into a wild daisy. As any journey, it’s filled with perils and difficulties. But also with friends that will help the seed to succeed in its new life as a flower. This story is an invitation to reflect on the different aspects of nature, how we can reconnect with it and how we can learn from it. Every single character is an expression of unity, of nature, and the unity we must have with the natural world.”

“The Wonderful Adventures of Nils” is a children’s novel written by the Swedish teacher and writer Ms. Selma Lagerlöf. She was the first woman to receive a Nobel Prize in literature. The story begins with the main character in this book, Nils Holgersson. Nils Holgersson was a nice-looking and clever young boy, except that he was very naughty, disobedient, and a trouble maker. The saddest thing about him was that he enjoyed hurting animals. One day, his parents left him at home and asked him to finish his schoolwork. Nils fell asleep while he read. When he woke up he was surprised to find an elf in his room. He treated the elf so badly that the elf had to shrink him into the size of a butterfly. However, he found himself to have the ability to communicate with animals. He discovered that due to his mischievous behaviors, the animals on the farm disliked him. Only Martin, a gander goose befriended him. Since all of the farm animals were out for revenge, Nils and a little hamster jumped on Martin’s back and joined a flock of wild geese flying across Sweden. After Nils saved one of the wild goose from a fox attack, the flock readily accepted him as their travel companion. This unusual journey allowed Nils to discover the world and learn valuable lessons from the animals. “If you have learned anything from us, Nils, you no longer think that the humans should dominate the whole earth to please themselves. Animals need space too so that we can all live together in peace. Animals also have a right to their own freedom, their own families and their own life.” Nils’s journey turned out to be a blessing in disguise. He gained his humanity after losing his human form and became friends with the animals. “The Wonderful Adventuress of Nils” is a heartwarming tale that gently shows us the right way to live with our animal friends. Almost a century after its publication, Ms. Selma Lagerlöf’s tale of Nils is still relevent today, when eating and raising animals for food are causing global crises, such as climate change and global pandemics. It’s time for us to take the journey like the young boy Nils to re-discover our compassionate nature, be vegan, and be kind to all animals in order to save our humanity and the world.

When is Supreme Master Ching Hai Day? Well, there are two, one is on February 22, which is coming up, and the other is on October 25. The first one, October 25, was established in 1993 by the former Mayor Frank F. Fasi of the City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. “We don't do this very often. But distinguished citizens of the world, who have an impact on the lives of so many people living on this earth. From the city and county of Honolulu appointment of honorary citizenship, Supreme Master Ching Hai is hereby proclaimed from this day forth an honorary citizen of the city and County of Honolulu, in recognition of outstanding character achievement and Aloha spirit. And the last award, award of merit, this award of merit is issued to the Supreme Master Ching Hai for Her efforts toward international peace and the relief of suffering. Signed by the Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu. I was very, very impressed with this young lady because She exemplifies what we call the concept of the brotherhood of man in the Christian religion. She exemplifies the Aloha spirit, of Hawaiians. Aloha spirit is the same thing - I am my brother's and sister's keeper.” The second Supreme Master Ching Hai Day was named a couple of months after. The US states of Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisconsin also recognized Master’s contributions to the world. The US government was so wise to confer such high honors to Supreme Master Ching Hai. For those who do good, every day is Supreme Master Ching Hai Day! Let’s hear Master’s words on this. “The Ching Hai Day is not only my day. It’s your day. It’s everyone’s day. ‘Ching Hai’ is actually not just my name. It’s a name given, and it symbolizes the Pure Ocean of Love. That is in your heart, in everyone’s heart, in all beings’ hearts. And you can see that through some of our animal shows. You can see how animals, they treat humans with utmost love, devotion, and help, assistance, as much as they can, whenever they have a chance to do it. And they also treat each other kindly, lovingly, charitably. So these are all members of Ching Hai Day.” Indeed, all beings who do good deeds celebrate Supreme Master Ching Hai Day. Even the smallest action, when done with a pure and selfless heart, is the greatest gift we can share with the world. We can do this all year long.

In today’s show “Vegans Are Cool” Part 4, we will be meeting five kids from four different countries. Each of them will introduce themselves including some of their interests and talents as well as their take on being vegan. First, we have two brothers from Brittany, France. The older brother is the ten-year-old Leo and the younger brother is Raphael, who is seven years old. “I’m ten years old. I play football, I draw a bit and I also do a bit of parkour. I eat a plant-based diet. I eat a lot of fruit. I have been vegan basically all my life. (Do you have a role model in life?) Yes. He’s called Lionel Messi. He is a footballer who has been vegan for six years now and also inspires other people to become vegan because also he one of the best players in the whole wide world. I would like to be a footballer who is vegan, and inspire other people to do the same as me. Be Vegan, Make Peace! I wish for the world that its animals can live in peace and that everybody just makes the right decision and becomes vegan.” “I’m seven years old. ‘It’s cool to be green.’ I eat vegan food. I swim. I do surfing. I hate seeing the animals suffer and die. I think about the animals. They are very cute. Be Veg, Go Green 2 Save the Planet!” Our next vegan star is an adorable five-year-old girl named Haram from Daegu, Korea. Haram said this when asked why she doesn’t eat meat. “When animals die, they suffer and get hurt. I don't want to eat fish. I don't even drink milk and drink soy milk. I've never had milk. (Is Kkonnim the prettiest?) I don't know. I like all dogs.” Our following guest is Dragon kid, an eight-year-old from Hong Kong who earned a yellow belt in Taekwondo! “Hallo everyone, My name is Dragon Kid. I’m 8 years old. I never eat meat and now I’m in primary two. It is because animals are not our food, but our friends. I like playing games, swimming and doing sports. My role model is my dad because I want to promote veganism with him. I want to be a policeman because I can maintain order. My dream and wish for the world are that people all over the world will go vegan, because then the animals won’t be killed. Be Vegan, Repentant = Save your soul!” Finally, we will introduce to you the nine-year-old girl named Pornsawan from Thailand. “Hallo! I am 9 years old. I like playing with dogs. I want to be like Supreme Master Ching Hai because She loves dogs very much. I want to be a good person in society. I want the world to eat vegan. I want people to have more love for the animals.”

Today we are discussing a beautiful and peaceful way of talking that is called Nonviolent Communication. Nonviolent Communication was created by Marshall Rosenberg as a way for people to speak with respect and love while also making sure that everyone gets their needs met. Let’s see an example on the playground! “That’s my favorite toy, I want to play with it!” “No! It’s also my favorite! I’m not giving it to you!” “Oh! It’s your favorite, too? Why do you like it so much? Did you have the same toy back in your old school?” “Yes……Maybe we can ask the teacher to buy another one so we both have one.” “Or we can agree to take turns!” “Okay, you can go first.” Nonviolent Communication is not about getting other people to do what we want them to do. It is about creating connections with others so that everyone can get their needs met. The first part of Nonviolent Communication is observing. That means watching what is happening without deciding what it means. The second part of Nonviolent Communication is feelings. How are you feeling? How are others feeling? When we are honest about how we feel, and about how others feel, it is easier to get to what we need. The third part of Nonviolent Communication is needs. What do you need? Can you hear what another person needs when they tell you? You're being accommodating to those around you once you observe their needs. Finally, through Nonviolent Communication, there are requests made that are based on needs. Can you make a straightforward request and ask for what you need without the use of force or pressure? When we have empathy and care for other people’s feelings and needs as well as being in tune with our own feelings and needs, we are in a good place to resolve conflict and move on to enjoying life!Let's do a craft that helps us identify and talk about our emotions! Actually, there is an even better communication passageway to help us understand one another and even animal co-inhabitants…

Our world is full of light. We see light from the Sun, the Moon, the stars, light from fires, as well as light generated by humanity. Light is an essential part of the world. What is light? Light. Well, that’s a type of energy we use all the time. Through outside all day long, we get light from the Sun that can turn sunlight into useful energy which makes them grow. In addition, animals and humans also depend on plants to flourish. By eating plants, both humans and animals are able to absorb the energy stored within the plant. Sunlight helps the body produce vitamin D and form strong bones. Realizing the healing effects light can have, scientists and doctors have developed light-based therapies to treat certain skin conditions, sleep and psychiatric disorders, and even cancer. Extensive light therapies have been practiced on many advanced planets. “And they don’t use medicine or equipment to heal these kinds of people. They use different kinds of energy, rays or light to heal this kind of patient.” We just discussed the physical lights that are visible, but there are also lights so subtle and refined that most people can’t see them. “The Light around the Buddha and Jesus is called the halo, the magnetic field of the Enlightened One. And the more enlightened a person is, the brighter this Light around him or her. And only when you have opened the wisdom eye can you see a person has Light or not.”Interestingly, in Hawaii, there is a legend passed down from the ancestors about the Bowl of Light. It goes like this: “Each child born has at birth, a Bowl of Perfect Light. If he tends his Light, it will grow in strength, and he can do all things — swim with the shark, fly with the birds, know and understand all things. If, however, he becomes envious or jealous, he drops a stone into his Bowl of Light and some of the Light goes out.” Light, which appears to be a simple phenomenon of the universe, is immensely beneficial for life on earth and beyond. Thanks to light, we see life in glorious colors and shades. What’s more, there is light within us that can shine like the stars if we allow it to happen.

Today, in Part 3 of our “Vegans Are Cool” series, we will meet four outstanding youths from Taipei, Taiwan, also known as Formosa. Mimi, Joceline, Elsa, and Jimmy each share with us why they think being vegan is the right thing to do. “I feel that eating animals is wrong. Nowadays there’re many vegan restaurants in the world. For example at my school, I often go to the vegan dining hall. Since it’s so easy to get vegan food, why don't we just eat more of it? It's beneficial for the world.” “Then isn’t eating animals also an act of bullying? Because animals are powerless to defend themselves!” “Hi, everyone. I’ve been a vegan since before I was born. I have been drinking soy milk since I was little. The reason I don't drink milk is that milk is for the baby cows and baby cows need to drink milk to grow up. I hope you’ll go vegan like me.” Up next is five-year old Taeyang from Haman, Korea. Taeyang tells us about the activities he enjoys doing and his dreams for the future. “I like riding my bike with my dad and painting and learning math as well. I want to be a good painter like Picasso, Munch, Van Gogh, and Da Vinci.” “I hope that the planet Earth will no longer be sick and a peaceful world will come.” “I've been praying every night before I go to bed. Be vegan, Make peace, Vegan world, Be a Hero, Save the kids, Ban all meat, Now! I pray for a vegan world. Amen!” Please join us in amazing Thailand to meet Saifa. “Hallo! I am 13 years old. In my spare time I like to read and Play the drums. The person that I admire is Tobey Maguire Because he is a vegan movie star. When I’m older, I want to be a protector of the law, so that I can change and make vegan laws. My wish is I would like the world to have peace, no war, no hunger. And I hope that everyone in this world will be vegan.” Although these kids are young in age, their hearts are very big; big enough to include all the animals and the whole world, don’t you think?

Today, we are pleased to present to you Joseph and Mary, a brother and sister from Surrey, UK, who grew up living a vegan lifestyle. “I want to become an artist when I grow up, and I wish the world to be more peaceful and no more coronavirus disease and other natural disasters.” “I am six years old. When I grow up, I would want to be an artist. I want the world to be vegan and peaceful and no animals are suffering. If you sincerely care, please say NO to meat!” Next, let’s meet Aaron, Angel and Emily from Taoyuan, Taiwan, also known as Formosa. “Being vegan can save the Earth, save the animals and save ourselves. I am a vegan. Being vegan makes you smarter and healthier.” “I support veganism. Animals are our friends. They have lives too. Don’t drink milk. It hurts (the cows). I drink soy milk and other plant-based milk.” “Pray for a vegan world. Be Vegan, Go Green, to Save the Human race. Don’t eat meat, because the coronavirus is caused by meat-eating. Being vegan makes one healthy and pretty, and become as lovely as I am.” Up next is Jay, an adorable vegan kid from Malaysia. “I am 11 years old. I like to cook vegan food. My role model is my grandfather. He is a vegan chef and vegan restaurant owner. I’d like to open a vegan restaurant and be the best vegan chef, when I grow up.” Our last vegan hero is Madeline from Jakarta, Indonesia. "I am vegan because animals have feelings like all humans do, and animals don’t want to be killed or hurt. Well, when I grow up, I want to be a singer, like Beyoncé or Rachel Platten. My wish for the planet is for it to be healthy, so that humans can live happily ever after. I dream of a vegan world. Be Veg, Go Green, 2 Save the Planet!”

In today’s show, we continue to present you heartwarming performances by vegan kids from all over our world. Let’s find out what lovely kids from the USA wish to say to Supreme Master Ching Hai on this special day. “Master, thank You for all Your doings to the world and to everyone. I love You very much, and thank You for everything. Happy Supreme Master Ching Hai Day!” “Thank You Master for coming to the world, saving souls and enlightening the Earth.” “I am vegan. She is vegan. He is vegan. We’re all vegans. Vegan kids are so cool! Vegans are healthy. Vegans are beautiful. Vegan kids are so cool! I am looking great. I am running faster. I am getting stronger. I am gaining more stamina. Vegan kids are so cool! Vegan for health, Vegan for compassion, Vegan kids are so cool! Smart pigs, beautiful chickens, noble cows, and gentle sheep, Dogs, cats, rabbits, ladybugs, and big tigers. They all love, love vegan kids! Vegan kids are so cool!” Next, we have two vegan boys dressed in colorful Korean costumes greeting Master in front of their creative artwork. These kids are from Bangkok, Thailand. “Wishing Master good health. And I wish that the people of the world will stop killing animals and change to a vegan diet. Happy Supreme Master Ching Hai Day!” Let’s continue with a heartwarming message from Singapore. Next, lovely Rose spoke with eloquence for both her and her mom, Sofia from Madrid, Spain. These vegan kids are so talented and crafty too. Their loving words carry far. Let’s celebrate Supreme Master Ching Hai Day by doing good deeds and by adopting a vegan diet to protect our animal friends every day. Let’s pray vegan world will come soon.

The planet Oz is a highly technologically advanced society. People have all kinds of conveniences and comforts in life. On the surface, everything is going smoothly and there is nothing to complain about. But deep down, everyone feels something is missing, even though they can’t quite put their fingers on it. One day, the king of Oz summoned his wisest advisor for a consultation. “I’ve been noticing that our people seem to be depressed and I don’t know why. How do you suggest we should go about attaining happiness in our lives?” “We can start from our children, your majesty. Happy children are more likely to grow up to be happy adults.”UNICEF, the children’s organization of the United Nations, published a report in 2017 on child well-being. Some of these countries included in the report were the Netherlands and Denmark. Children in both countries ranked as some of the happiest kids in the world! “Your majesty, according to my research, children in the Netherlands spend more time staying outdoors. They are given plenty of unstructured, free playtime and typically participate in a wide array of activities. What’s more, kids in the Netherlands spend more time with both their parents!” “Similar to the Netherlands, children in Denmark have a lot of space to play, explore, and make decisions. There are also two key concepts that are taken into consideration in regards to education; empathy and something called hygge.” “We should also give our kids more time and freedom to play and nurture respect and empathy for others. Thank you for your wise words!” “Hallo, wise advisor from the planet Oz, can you please come to our show and tell us what else we can do to be happier?” “Happiness is a nurtured habit. We can all learn and train our happiness! Particularly there are three practices we can follow: doing good for others, doing self-fulfilling activities, and doing good for yourself.”

In Part 1 of this series, we will present to you several kids around the world who have taken courageous actions to save our beloved planet, hence save us, the animals. First, we will introduce to you the 14-year-old environmental activist, Junior from Côte d’Ivoire. At the UN Human Rights Council on July 1st, 2020, Junior spoke out against the alleged industrial pollution that includes the cocoa production sector in his hometown San-Pédro. He pleaded to the delegates, “I want the authorities to take this question of the environment to heart. Because we children are suffering a lot.” Besides Junior, in Colombia, 11-year-old Francisco Vera is a well-known environmentalist and defender of children’s rights and animals’ rights. In 2019, Francisco started an environmental group called Guardians of Life in Villeta. Together with six of his school friends, they picked up rubbish while chanting slogans about climate change all the way to the town center. The group has now expanded to include not only over 200 members in Colombia, but also those from Mexico and Argentina. For example, in the Capricorn region of Queensland, Australia, with the help of the 5-year-old Yeppoon wildlife Warrior, Owen Harris, three green sea turtles returned to the ocean after recovering from horrific injuries from irresponsible fishing. The seven-year-old Rayer has been cleaning up the beaches since she learned how to walk! For five years, she has been patrolling and cleaning up the 55-mile stretch of beach with her eco-conscious family! Ana, do you know what multilayered packaging is? To tackle this problem, Safai Bank has been set up in India to get school kids involved in collecting multi-layered packing materials (MLPs) and sending them to be processed for construction use. Currently there are 50,000 students from 180 schools who are account holders of this bank. Last year, they had prevented over 2,200,000 MLPs from going to landfills. Go kids! We, animal friends appreciate all of your actions to preserve nature.To conclude our show, let us hear a special rendition of the song “Someday” by a few vegan kids from Indonesia.

Today is the International Day of Families! You know, our family members like our parents, siblings, and relatives are the most important people to us. Family can also include anybody who is important to us, people who care about us, people who love us, and people we love. Our beloved Supreme Master Ching Hai spoke about how peace in the family is connected with peace in the world. “If a family is stable, and the parents are setting good virtuous examples, the children definitely would not grow up to become bad people. Even if there are exceptions, they are very few. They won't fall to a very bad level. World peace originated from peace in the family. In Chinese we say, cultivate ourselves, harmonize the family, govern the country, and pacify the world. We contribute our best quality to society and family. By offering the best to our family, we are offering the best to society and to the world.” So, to celebrate International Day of Families, would you like to learn how to make some crafty gifts for your family? We will use recycled materials and turn something old and useless into something beautiful and useful. That way we have less things going to the trash that pollute our planet. You won’t even have to spend more money on new things either. First, let’s learn how to make a piece of art to hang on the wall. We need toilet paper rolls, a large piece of cardboard, glitter, green and brown paint, a ruler and some glue. Following the lines, cut the roll. Glue 5 of the glittered pieces together to make one flower. Finally, apply the varnish to the inside of the petals, sprinkle glitter to the insides of the petals. The next thing we will learn to make is a storage box. How about a pen holder for your brother? The International Day of Families is another chance for us to express our love for our close ones. Who knows? Maybe we can make a difference in the world too, like Supreme Master Ching Hai told us. “If everyone fulfills their responsibility, like parents are very protective to their children, and children are very filial to the elders, then the world will become peaceful. Everything comes from family. Consequently, the natural disasters and wars will become less and less.”

Today, I will share with you, “The Story of a Boy and an Apple Tree.” It’s an adaptation of the story, “The Giving Tree,” written by the award-winning American writer, Shel Silverstein. Once upon a time, a boy came upon a lovely apple tree. He said to the tree: “Hi friend, can I stay here and play with you? The air is fresh, and the view of the sunset is most beautiful.” “You are welcome to stay for as long as you like. I will gladly share this place with you. We can play and watch the sunset together.” Years went by, and as the boy grew, he couldn’t visit the tree as often. The tree was now often alone. Then one day the boy, who had grown to a young man, came to the tree. “I have come to say goodbye, my friend. I’m going to college.” “That’s great! I’m so happy for you. Remember, you will always have a faithful friend here who will always pray and help you.” One day, years later, the young man returned and sat under the tree and said nothing. Overjoyed, the tree said: “Welcome back, my friend! I am so happy to see you! Why are you so quiet and sad? What’s the problem?” “I need money, but I don't know how to get it.” “That’s easy, I bear a lot of fruits, you can pick them and sell them in the city. Then you will have all the money that you need.”“To raise my family, I need a house and I don’t know how to get one.” “Oh, that’s easy. You may cut my branches to build a house for your family.” …The man grew old and he missed his childhood friend, the apple tree. He came looking for her. “You're back, my friend. How are you? Is there anything I can do for you?” “My friend, I am old and tired. I don’t need much anymore. All I need is a peaceful place to rest.” “Oh, I have just the place for you. Come and rest on my tree stump.” “This is perfect. Thank you, dear friend, from the bottom of my heart. Looking back, I have realized that all my life I had come to you only when I needed something, and you always stood by me. Thank you.” What a tender and touching story. It makes me want to cry. Trees are such noble beings. Our beloved Supreme Master Ching Hai told us just how amazing they are! They are our true friends, who bless us and serve us quietly and unconditionally. Let’s remember that and strive to protect and honor them. Please join us in singing this “Friend Song” dedicated to all the good friends in our lives.

First, let us take a look at some of the amazing pictures. Aren’t they beautiful? Do you see any commonalities between the artworks? Yes, they all have circles, or are in circular shapes. All of them can be categorized as mandalas, the Sanskrit word for circle or wholeness. Sanskrit is a classical Indian language. The circular design of mandalas gives us a sense that everything in the universe is connected and life continues forever. As shared in the pictures, the easiest place to find mandala images are in nature. They are everywhere. Although the mandala is usually a spiritual symbol that represents the universe in Hinduism and Buddhism, mandalas appear in all ancient cultures throughout the world. Tibetan monks create sand mandalas as a prayerful meditative practice. At the other end of the globe, we can watch a demonstration of a Navajo Sand Painting, which is also a sacred art. It conveys the God’s power. Here different colored sands are used with skillful fingers. The Aztec calendar is a mandala that is a sacred calendar of the Mexica. The geometric diagram shows two very different calendar systems, one being the 365-day agricultural year that we follow and the other is a 260-day sacred year where the days are described according to the Aztec gods. Interestingly, mandalas are also in the astrological zodiac signs.Making mandala art helps us concentrate in the present moment, a powerful relaxation tool that promotes inner harmony and balance, that is also not difficult to create. Have you ever made a nature mandala? Here’s how to do it. Let’s gather in a circle. To collect elements for our mandala, we split into groups, maximum of five people. Each group goes out into the surrounding area gathering natural elements without cutting or destroying anything. The intention is to connect and act mindful. As you search for things to use, you can explore their energy, their story and their strengths. Whatever you take, maintain respect for the place and cultivate gratitude.

An 11-year-old schoolgirl, Tamsyn Grillett from New South Wales spent her school holiday making care packages for those impacted by the bushfires in Australia. So far thirty-two toiletry packs have been sent to the NSW (New South Wales) RFS (Rural Fire Service) Commission. Allysha Nicole Nolasco, a 10-year-old Calgarian girl, was one of the three Calgary recipients of the Diana Award, a humanitarian award given to young people annually in memory of the Princess of Wales, Princess Diana. The young humanitarian used her art making skills and singing abilities to raise money for many organizations, such as Ronald McDonald House, the Canadian Cancer Society, a shoebox campaign for Samaritan's Purse, etc.Tunisha grew up watching her father support the NGO Seva Kitchen, which recently donated clothes and food to flood victims. An idea came to her which she shared with her father, about collecting stationary, books, or book bags for children. Within two months and with the help of her father, Tunisha had donated 1000 bags to the NGO Goonj, 1800 bags to low-income government schools in Nagpur and the suburbs, and 2000 bags to farm children in Melghat.Hita Gupta was a volunteer at retirement homes in Pennsylvania, USA, until the COVID-19 pandemic set in. The volunteers were let go to ensure the safety of at-risk residents. She and her brother Divit made care packages including a hand-written note and pre-recorded video messages to retirement homes in Pennsylvania through their non-profit organization Brighten A Day. Fourteen kittens were left behind on a running track near Moonee Ponds, Lucinda, a young girl from Australia, who lived nearby happened to come across them and promptly rescued them. With some of the money she received from her birthday, Lucinda paid AUD$50 (US$37) for a taxi to take the kittens to the local animal rescue at Lort Smith, where they received treatments and were nursed back to health.

Yes, as a matter of fact I did. Amelia is from Illinois, USA. Like many 11-year-olds, she is into all kinds of sports, such as Jiu Jitsu and swimming, but wrestling is her favorite. She started wrestling when she was just 6 years old and has been a very successful competitor. She is a straight A student and the winner of PETA Kids’ 2020 Cutest Vegan Kid Contest. Our Supreme Master Television team members interviewed Amelia via Zoom in March this year. Let’s hear what she said. “I became vegan because loving and hurting someone at the same time is not right. Veganism is a lifestyle and plant-based is a diet. I'm very strong. I never get tired. I can do two hours of wrestling and then go straight to swim practice for one and a half hours.” Even though she is only 11 years old, she has attended many protests, such as Canadian Goose protest, Horse Carriage Protest, Anonymous For The Voiceless events, vigils, etc. Does Amelia have any advice for young people wanting to go vegan? “Tell your parents, you choose not to harm animals and you refuse to eat animal products. And that you need help and support because this is really important to you. And then after, show them the vigils that encouraged you to make the change.” Does Amelia have a role model? Who does she admire? “The person who I admire the most is my mom, because she organizes the AV (anonymous to the voiceless) Cube of Truth in Chicago. And she always gets up in the early morning to do vigils every day, every week. And, and she doesn't care about the weather. She always goes just for the animals.” What is her advice for people who are already vegan? “Being vegan is not enough, you need to stand, I mean stand for them at every opportunity.” What is Amelia’s wish for our world? “A vegan world of course. And I would say also a suffering-free world for everyone.”

Rabbits, domesticated or wild, offer their joyful energy to produce many benefits for the planet and the animals around them! Bomi will share with us her knowledge about her little furry friend and how to best care for rabbits as pets. “The animals are very pure. They are already connected with the higher source of the Divine, so we can learn so much from them. The animal does not have to be large. It could be an ant, which is noted scientifically for his intelligence, or a rabbit. A rabbit is also a powerhouse of love; almost next to the whales, for example.” “The first time we met was at a mart. I passed through the animal corner at the mart, but there were no other rabbits there, and this rabbit was alone there. I was just going to overlook it, but when I looked closely, he had a skin disease and a mass of his hair here was taken out, maybe because of the skin disease. There were some problems with his eyes, and his nose also lost hair due to the skin disease. And I couldn’t leave him alone, so I finally adopted him. I took him to a hospital and got him diagnosed, gave him medicine, and disinfected the eyes, so now he has recovered completely even from the skin disease.” “It’s important what you feed to them when you raise a rabbit. Because the food that rabbits should eat and the food that rabbits like are often different.” “The rabbit’s staple is hay, but Toto is eating ryegrass. When they are young, you feed them alfalfa, but Toto is an adult, so Timothy hay and ryegrass are the staple foods.” Toto's ears won't miss the rustling sound of a snack bag! Just imagining it makes me feel good. “One day, I released Toto to play in the yard. But after I released him, I wondered where Toto went, so when I looked at the backyard, there was a magpie, and Toto was really close to the magpie. They were so close to each other. The moment I saw it, it was as if Toto was talking to the bird. It was so amazing, so I approached it and the magpie flew away, but anyway, it was amazing.”