Tony Martin is the editor of “Growing Green International,” a magazine published twice a year by the British educational charity Vegan Organic Network. Established in 1996, Vegan Organic Network strives for food to be grown the “veganic” way, or vegan and organic. “Veganic gardening is growing without any pesticides or without any animal input such as manures, blood, bone, fish meal, etc.” Tony Martin has been leading a compassionate vegan lifestyle for more than 35 years. “There are various benefits of avoiding animal products. For instance, you won’t have heard of ‘mad carrot disease,’ but you’ve certainly heard of mad cow disease, chickenpox, and other diseases, where bacteria/viruses get mutated and take host in humans – so there’s that risk. There’s also the risk of animal manures containing large amounts of bacteria, which can cause salmonella, for instance, if salads, etc. aren’t cleaned properly. And it’s not just the fact that it’s the suffering of the animals that goes in there, but a lot of these animals are treated regularly with antibiotics and other nasties, which will then end up in the food chain.” There are many safer plant-based methods to fertilize crops, such as vegan composting. “And grass clippings are high in nitrogen, which is one of the important resources that we need for vegan compost. Insects and worms in the garden can be very beneficial to growing. In nature, there is a balance. ‘No-dig’ appeals to vegans because you’re not harming animals. From a nutritional point of view, some of the easiest things to grow are things like spinach, peas, etc.” Supreme Master Ching Hai frequently encourages growing vegan produce, such as in the following lecture, given in 2008 in France. “Okay, so now, you try to plant those vegetables that bear fruits, like beans, pumpkins and stuff, cucumbers, those things that bear fruit and simple, easy. So it becomes a habit. And then you will eat your own produce, and it’s also good for the time being because we’re short of food everywhere. In case something happens, you will have sufficient food for yourself.”

We are honored to have Professor Damian Pophristov with us again, as he continues to discuss his research findings. “In ‘The Secret Book,’ Jesus Christ does not call it exactly ‘rebirth,’ but says ‘coming back,’ when each soul must learn its lesson and find another such higher soul which has already undergone these tests to lead him to what Jesus Christ calls ‘perfect humanity.’ Subsequently, it becomes clear that under perfect humanity, He means the Universal White Brotherhood. They are highly purified and on a universal scale are responsible for two things: Truth and Love. At different times, among different cultures, They come down to Earth to correct or guide people in the right direction of a life connected with the Divine reality. The Bogomils repeated it centuries later in a slightly different version: ‘No matter what happens in your life, rejoice, fellow, because this is your chance to correct what you did wrong before.’ Free will is in the Divine plan. The third point is very important: this is the presence of the feminine energy, absolutely equal to the male from the very beginning. This is the so-called Wisdom of God, or Sofia.” The Bogomils preached equality in poverty and a modest, simple life that included keeping a vegetarian diet and avoiding alcohol. They were known as keen missionaries and traveled extensively to teach their form of Christianity, healing the sick as they went. “He (Boyan Maga) consecrated 21 of his future Bogomil apostles in the new doctrine, and the spread of the Bogomil Doctrine began. It reappears on the surface, so to speak, in the early 20th century with the teachings of the spiritual Master Beinsa Douno, known by His secular name Peter Deunov. Izgreva is the place where the White Brotherhood gathered. It preserves the basic spiritual principles of the Bogomil Doctrine. It is also a modern teaching that is already widespread in almost 130 countries around the world.” “Adding 700 makes 2021, i.e., we are contemporaries of the emergence or rebirth of this Bogomil spiritual impulse, which began already in 1247. A new era is coming in humanity in which prejudice, racial, class, ethnicity, will disappear. And to know the power of love, they must know themselves as Divine creatures.”

“About the Bogomils from ‘Mouth to Ear’” is dedicated to an exceptional part of Bulgaria’s spiritual legacy, the Bogomil Doctrine. Published in 2018, the fascinating book is the fruit of Professor Damian Pophristov’s many years of research. “The first is that there are no sacrifices in Orphism – not of animals, let alone of humans.” Ancient spiritual Master Orpheus did not personally transcribe any of His teachings. But some of the major principles are referred to in subsequent philosophic writings by Plato, Empedocles, and the Pythagorean teachings which form the main source of information about Orphism. Renowned Greek philosopher Plato wrote about the vegetarian diet of the Orphics in His book “Laws:” “It was a kind of Orphic life, as it was called, that was led by those of our kind who were alive at that time, taking freely of all things that had not life, but abstaining from all that had life.” “What is Orphism? The musical rhythm 7/8 resonates with a person’s heart chakra, which at the same time synchronizes with the pulsation of the super-celestial spheres. The unique thing about Orphism is the way of purification. This, as I said, is done through music.” “Wherever there are Thracian tribes, Orpheus’s teachings became their main belief. This continued until the 1st century AD, when the first Apostles of Jesus Christ, or the first preachers of Christ’s teachings. arrived in our lands in the Balkans. Apostle Paul also arrived in our lands. It is safe to say that the first successors of the early Christian teaching were the Thracians. The upgrade is expressed in the fact that this time, the Word, the Divine Word, has been downloaded to the people in an understandable, accessible language, so that it can be distributed to all. This is evidenced by over 900 early Christian churches, dated by archaeologists by all possible analysis to the period between the 4th to 6th centuries, i.e., the period when Christianity became the official religion. Early Christianity recognizes karma and reincarnation. We know it from the so-called ‘Secret Book of John,’ the same John the Theologian who wrote the canonical Gospel, who records his one-on-one conversations with Jesus Christ.”

For generations, children and adults have enjoyed nursery rhymes. The catchy melodies and lyrics are passed down from generation to generation throughout the world, a way to preserve cultural values and traditions. It is said that nursery rhymes have an important role in the development of early childhood. In the era of veganism, Kate Foster, a vegan, and author of the book “Vegan Nursery Rhymes” thoughtfully adapted traditional nursery rhymes as a means to teach adults and children vegan values. What was it that prompted Kate to write the book, “Vegan Nursery Rhymes”? “‘Vegan Nursery Rhymes’ really happened after my son was born. And then when he was a baby, I would read him all sorts of books, including nursery rhyme books. And then noticed that a lot of the nursery rhymes didn't have a vegan message. They weren't vegan friendly.” Kate tells us her side of the vegan story. “I became vegan 10 years ago when I met my husband and he's been vegan most of his life. And when I met him, he sort of introduced me to things and made me think about things I'd never really thought about before. For instance, the dairy industry and the ag (animal agriculture) industry, I didn't realize all the cruelties that were involved in those industries. The book, “Vegan Nursery Rhymes” includes 50 poems and songs which are written and illustrated by Kate. Some of them are funny, others heart-breaking, and all of them will make you think. “Really my wish is to encourage people to be kind to all creatures and to extend their compassion to all creatures and everybody on Earth. You know, rather than just pets, all the animals that they think are cute. And just to sort of realize that all animals matter and that all lives are important.” With “Vegan Nursery Rhymes,” the tender-hearted Kate has reminded us that children are the future. Therefore, it is very important to instill moral values in them. Also, animals, children, and grownups all have the right to live a kinder and more considerate life together.

“This is Kitti. She is about two and a half years old. She was rescued from a small garden, where she was bred to be sold, and then used for her eggs, and at the end she would have been slaughtered. I had a rescued chicken before Lotti, and we wanted to get a companion for Lotti, so we got Kitti.” “It happened that Lotti became very sick and died in the summer, and Kitti could not really get over Lotti’s death. And that is why eventually she became an indoor chicken. When Lotti was very sick, she was sitting on the sofa for many weeks, and Kitti was sitting with her and did not leave her side. First, people would not even believe how sensitive these little beings are.” “She was sitting beside Lotti, and she did not leave for many days; she only ate what I took there for her. She was cleaning Lotti’s feathers because Lotti could not do it for herself anymore. And it was the saddest thing when we finally buried Lotti. Kitti would not leave the sofa.” “I would like to write an article about how many empty gardens there are. When I take my dogs here for a walk, I see a lot of nice gardens, and they are so empty. And each one of those could house three to four chickens, two geese, and a couple of cats. This way everybody could adopt animals, and life would be much more beautiful.” “By the way, I have a very important lecture, which is for the vegans. It is called ‘Being at Peace with a Non-Vegan World.’ You can watch it on YouTube. It is about how not to make war with each other. Because conflict never really has any winner. In my opinion, it is very important that we turn towards non-vegans with help instead of making them feel guilty or being angry at them.” “How could we not be angry about all the things that people do to animals? But this anger does not bring the world forward. We need to work on it inside, so we don’t communicate out of anger, but rather out of love and help.”

Anna Bonifert is one of the best-known Hungarian vegan animal activists. She is the author of several books and articles on animal welfare and veganism, including “Why Vegan?: Questions about veganism you haven’t dared to ask yet,” which was published in 2014. “My big dream was the ‘Book of Animal Rights Activists.’ I have always wanted to become a writer, but I have never been interested enough in any topic to sit down and write about it until we came to animal protection, veganism. And I was so interested in it that I could write a book about it from beginning to end.” “My third book is the counterpart of this book. It is ‘I Will Become Vegan’ and in parentheses says, ‘A handbook for beginners.’ It tends to give practical help for becoming vegan. So, the first one persuades, it tries to give the reasons, and the second one tries to give the know-how. So, it tries to help those who want to become vegan, but who do not know how yet. And both of these can be downloaded in PDF from the Vegan Animal Rights Activists website.” “I highly recommend everybody to start saving poultry, geese, chickens. It is best if one has a garden. But it can be done even in an apartment. You need to invest some energy, you need to pay attention, you need to change your life a little bit. But it is still better for them than to go to the slaughterhouse.” Anna lives with 15 animals, some of whom she rescued from animal farms. She tells us about one such family member, Vilmos the rooster. “Yes, because while he was living inside, he almost destroyed my laptop. They enjoy that a lot, tapping on the keyboard, especially when it makes some sound, they are absolutely enchanted by that. Roosters are tremendously intelligent. They don’t leave you alone, the same way that a kitten doesn’t leave you alone; they are always there, checking out everything. While Vilmos was living inside, he followed me everywhere. He was always there and would jump up and then sit on my lap.”

Clemens Arvay’s most recent books address the current COVID-19 pandemic. “We Can Do Better” is about the environmental and social problems that led to the COVID-19 crisis. “COVID-19 Vaccines: Hope or Risk?” is a science-based book on the problems and open questions about vaccines against SARS-CoV-2. Both became bestsellers immediately after publication.In “Biophilia in the City,” Clemens mentions how to bring the healing forces of nature into our cities. “Respect for the trees and for the animals that live in the forest and in nature; that we go there with the feeling that we should also learn something from nature and walk through nature with dignity, and that we are aware that we are not the only species on this planet; that there are many species that we have endangered through our lifestyle, that we have taken away their habitat. And it is not only about our health; it is also about the health, and life, and rights, of other species.”Clemens shares with us his experience of creating music in the forest, surrounded by the animals. “Forest music combines the effects of the forest, the relaxing effect and the creativity-enhancing effect of the forest, with music. Also, we are more creative in the forest. It is a wonderful experience when the frogs or the birds join in, and to make music in a group, or sometimes even alone in the forest, is a very moving experience.”Clemens tells us what is, for him, the most important message of the forest. “For me, the most important message of the forest is really that we appreciate diversity, that we recognize that we are part of this precious diversity. Biodiversity, ecology only works through diversity, not through making everything the same. Like this, everyone can be their authentic selves and appreciate their otherness, their individuality – for me, this is a very important message of the forest. In this context, the message of nature is also that you are OK the way you are.”

His book entitled “The Biophilia Effect: A Scientific and Spiritual Exploration of the Healing Bond Between Humans and Nature” was published in 2015 and became a bestseller. We are honored to have Clemens Arvay with us to explain these remarkable discoveries. “It is true that just looking at a tree through a window or in a large photo can have a positive effect on our self-healing powers. This also explains why a study going back to the 1980s showed that patients recover faster after operations if they can look at a tree, or a green area with a tree, from the hospital window. That is a very significant study.” Clemens Arvay’s book “Growing up With the Trees to the Sky,” published in 2019, is about forest therapy for children on the autistic spectrum. “And in 2014, my little son Jonny was born, and he, too, is autistic. And then I started to intensively study methods from forest therapy, from forest medicine, applying them to the topic of autism. The forest lowers the cortisol levels. This is a wonderful basis to get closer to them so that they can open up. And on this foundation, autistic children can be helped through the diversity of nature, especially sensory diversity. Autism is also a perceptual disorder, and if you train the nervous system through sensory experiences, then the cognitive development is also improved, and the whole range of problems associated with autism slowly fades into the background.” The “International Handbook of Forest Therapy,” published in 2019 and edited by renowned scientists, contains two articles by Clemens Arvay, including one on his specialist field, eco-psychosomatics. “We are part of nature, we are connected to nature, and human existence without natural habitats would be completely unthinkable. I wish that there could be a clinic just like this, where the experience of nature plays a very central part, and where people could then retreat.”

We now continue our interview with Clemens Arvay, as he examines the health effects of the forest on our bodies as well as our minds. “The bioactive substances of the trees, they have proven to be effective not only for our immune system, but also for our heart health. For example, they cause a substance called DHEA, dehydroepiandrosterone, to be increasingly produced in the adrenal cortex. And this is a protective substance for the heart that has been proven to keep our blood vessels elastic and can thus protect against coronary heart disease and heart attacks.”He now shares with us some exercises that we can do in the forest to benefit from its health-enhancing powers. “These exercises are full-body breathing exercises where the whole body opens up and closes again when you exhale. And all of this in combination with smooth, elegant movements, which then also activates our cardiovascular system, is the best way to come into contact with the stimuli of nature and make ourselves receptive to them. Basically, however, in order to enjoy the positive effects of the forest, one does not have to do any special exercises. You can also walk in the forest, relax, do sports in the forest, meditate in the forest, or do autogenic training and other relaxation exercises, etc. So there are numerous studies that show that just the sight of nature, the sight of the forest, of other landscapes, has an effect on our nervous system which improves our defenses and also our self-healing rate.”Clemens tells how the forest is a perfect place for meditation. “You can meditate anywhere in the forest, of course. This, for example, is the perfect place for meditation. Atop this tree trunk, and there is the sky, the treetops, with open eyes, or with your eyes closed. The interesting thing is that meditation in the forest with open eyes works especially well, easier than in a room, because, as has been proven, the impressions of nature increase alpha wave activity. So I would recommend to everyone to meditate according to their own mood and desire, or to do a walking meditation, where you concentrate on the forest path, in the fashion of the flow experience.”

One of the pioneers of forest therapy is Austrian biologist and author Clemens G. Arvay. His work centers on the relationship between humans and nature. Devoted to forest medicine, Clemens Arvay examines the health effects of the forest on our bodies as well as our minds. Today we are very honored to have Clemens Arvay on Supreme Master Television, as he shares how his relationship with nature began.“Forest medicine, or forest therapy, is an approach where one integrates, very deliberately, an experience of nature with a therapeutic concept to treat both physical and psychological problems. Because the forest is full of bioactive substances. You could say it is an outright pharmacy of active substances. And we do know this: These substances that come from the trees, from the humus, from the roots, from other plants, also from soil organisms; they are very important for our immune function, for our heart health, for our nervous system, and for many other parts of the body. Even at the cellular level, they actually have a regenerative and healing effect. There are studies that show, for example, that people who are clinically diagnosed with depression, benefit greatly from walking in the forest.”“In my opinion, the combination of water and forest is especially successful, because the depth of the lake – for example, the peace and quiet that the lake radiates – combines with the effect of nature’s greenery. There is also a study that shows that, for example, children suffering from asthma, up to four months of age, experience a significant improvement in their symptoms when they have been able to take a short or two-week curative stay at a waterfall.”“The immune defense of the trees also seems to be known to our immune system. It also reacts to the terpenes of the forest by strengthening its immune defenses. Actually, we also breathe in the soil microbes, because they are stirred up and we swallow them down, and they become part of our intestinal ecosystem. They also have proven to have a significant effect on our immune system. They train our immune system, they improve it.”

“We’re always learning something. Just the other day, we saw where some whales were actually rescuing seals from orcas. And so we find out all of these things, and we think, ‘Gosh, they’re really just like us, except they have superpowers that we don’t understand.’ ”“The relationship at the moment between humankind, this human supremacist attitude we have, and the rest of the animals – because we are just one animal among many, but we’re all here together – is not as it should be. And we are all neighbors; we should all be friends, we should all be colleagues, if you will. But what we need to do is just show respect, understanding, consideration, and allow everybody to be themselves. Because each individual has their own group, their own culture, their own language.” “Our strength is that we work at the grassroots. We know the power of the consumer, that every individual is important in this struggle to have the animals recognized and respected. And so, when we educate the man at the bus stop, the woman buying groceries, the lawyer, the student, they are the force that will change legislation. Legislation is the last thing to change.”PETA has achieved many remarkable milestones. In 2010, PETA went undercover in laboratories, releasing alarming facts that resulted in Utah legislators conclusively voting to ensure that homeless cats and dogs housed in governmental shelters are never again sold to laboratories. In 2011, PETA cited the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution for the first time to stop the slavery of nonhuman animals in captivity. The plaintiffs were five orca whales, captured and forced to perform for human entertainment.“If you have kindness in your heart, then expand it, please. So please, walk the walk with us, come on board and be an animal rights activist, even if you’re taking baby steps in that direction.”

“When we were children, many of us read stories and we watched cartoons of animals who had mythological, wondrous superpowers. And what “Animalkind” does is it sets out to show us that real animals, not mythological ones, do have superpowers. We don’t have to go into space to look for intelligent forms of life. They’re all around us, right here on Earth. More is the pity that we ignore their feelings, their intelligence, and we make them into shoes, or snacks.” Continuing our interview, Ingrid Newkirk speaks about how much research has been put into “Animalkind” and what has been achieved for the animals. “They fascinate me. So you learn these things through research, but the talents of animals, I was always collecting their amazing journeys; that they have 300 million sense receptors in their noses to our maybe six to eight million, that they can find their way home in mysterious ways, across a country, across a continent, across an ocean. They can sense things that we will have never been able to sense. How wonderful! What examples they are for us!” In 2019, a new whole-body model frog, called SynFrog, was simulated by PETA and SynDaver. Already used in American high schools and middle schools as an educational tool, SynFrog has abolished the need to traumatically dissect real animals. PETA is always doing amazing things, leading the world in animal protection. Ingrid Newkirk now shares some of the stories that have touched and inspired her. “Well, there are so many. And I hear emails, we get mail, people are always telling us, ‘I picked up one of your magazines, the “PETA Global Animal Times,” and it changed my whole life.’ That is what keeps me going, that’s what I think influences other people.”

A well-known organization which promotes veganism and the banishment of fur is the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA. The president and co-founder, Ingrid Newkirk, is a Shining World Compassion Award recipient. PETA has adhered to a simple principle since its inception, “Animals are not ours to experiment on, eat, wear, use for entertainment, or abuse in any other way.” This amazing organization inspires millions of people across the world. In January 2020, Ingrid Newkirk and bestselling author Gene Stone co-authored the book: “Animalkind: Remarkable Discoveries about Animals and Revolutionary New Ways to Show Them Compassion.” Today we are especially honored to have Ingrid Newkirk take time out of her incredibly busy schedule to speak with us about this book. “It’s my pleasure, because of course I’ve long followed Supreme Master, and I think Her videos and Her books are the greatest educational tools.” “Well, “Animalkind” came out for PETA’s fortieth anniversary, and I thought it was time to have a new, big book that explained some of the things we’ve learned about animals in recent years. We didn’t know about low frequency radio waves, for example, for years and years, millennia. And yet, birds can detect low frequency radio waves and navigate by them. So I wanted to write something that said, ‘Here they are, with amazing ability, and then here’s what you can do to make sure that they don’t suffer needlessly.’” “We have to remember, of course, that animals are so special. They don’t spoil the environment the way that we do. Those things alone should make us think twice about what we do to them.” “And the root cause of all our problems is greed and prejudice. We’re disrespectful of the rainforest and all who live in there. The disrespect comes from when you look at the live market. That we’re all in this together. I am you, only different, but not different in any important way.”

One of “The Noble Wilds” cameramen now shares another touching story from when Master lived in the mountains. "That day, Master felt very agitated and suffocated, as if She was inside a prison. Master was working, but She was connected with a certain being, and that feeling could not let Master relax or be calm. Master called me in and told me: 'Go to the back of the house and check around to see if something was going on. I feel like something not good is happening close to our house.' I immediately took a flashlight and went to check every corner of the garden around the house. When I went to the back of the mountain, I found that a pregnant female mountain goat had fallen into a stone pit nearby. And perhaps she had been trapped in the pit for many hours already and had tried very hard to get out but to no avail. Therefore, she looked very tired. I hurried back to inform Master of the situation, and She immediately went to the scene. Master talked a lot to comfort the female mountain goat so that she could be calm and not so afraid. Seeing that the goat’s belly was very big, Master thought the goat was pregnant with her baby inside. Master brought water and food to the female mountain goat so that she could eat and rest. And Master talked to her. In the meantime, we contacted the veterinarian and other help to come to rescue and check the goat’s wellness. And as Master suspected, the goat was indeed pregnant. After rescuing the goat, the helpers found a farmer who lived nearby and wanted to take care of the female mountain goat. We heard that the goat later gave birth to her baby safely. Master didn’t forget to tell us to go shopping and buy food along with the necessary materials to offer to that farmer to make it easy for them to take care of the doe for a while. After the goat was rescued, Master then said: 'I feel light now. I didn’t know why that pressure made me feel so heavy. And now, after knowing the problem has been resolved, I feel relaxed and do no longer have that kind of feeling from before.' From this event, I realized that even if Master was extremely busy – especially at that time, with Supreme Master Television, Master had to work very hard and always had to stay up all night with no time to rest – but Master could still hear and perceive the cry for help from beings everywhere and around Her. So we can see that Master’s love radiates everywhere. Being connected to all beings, be it the leaf, the blade of grass, or the animals, big and small, Master cares for all."

Today, we are privileged to continue our interviews with some of the “The Noble Wilds” cameramen, who share with us their stories about the precious relationships between Master and the lovely wild animals. "I remember one time, close to Master’s house, there was a horse belonging to the neighbor. And this horse was let free to roam in the vast grassy land of the neighbor, which ran along a road that She often travelled on. Every time Master came back home in Her car, when the horse saw that, he would run alongside the car and neigh out loud, as if he wanted to say 'Hallo, Master! Hallo, Master!' It was a beautiful sight, and Master knew that the horse is a very good one. Master always reminded us to buy food for the animals at home as well as those in the wild whenever we went to shop; we should not forget to buy food for that horse. One time, Master got out of the car and fed the horse with apples and flavorful bread, which the horse loved. After eating the food, the horse stood there and thanked Master. Then he talked to Master for a long time. When coming back home, Master told me that the horse species is very intelligent, very brave, very loyal, and they live in a herd. Master said, 'If, in their stable, one horse fell ill, then the whole herd would not eat, because they are very worried for the sick horse. And in the old days, humans used these horses during wartime. Humans forced them to carry heavy loads such as weapons, and trained them so that they were ridden into the battle. Nowadays, it’s the same. Horses are being taken advantage of by being trained to race and serve as entertainment for humans. I (Master) don’t like this, because that is so cruel and an injustice to the horses.' Master said, 'Those horses are supposed to be free and roam peacefully in the vast grassland, such as the ones in Mongolia. Horses are supposed to eat, drink, and run freely. They are not for people to use as entertainment tools, and when they become useless, the owners will send them to the slaughterhouses. That is such an injustice and so inhumane.' So through Her words, we can see Master’s incredible love. Master understands all the animals, and She loves them. And Master’s purpose in this world, besides teaching humans to practice spiritually for liberation, is to also see us treat the animals with love, kindness, and fairness. The weak animals don’t have the capability to defend for themselves. The animals come to this world with the sole purpose to remind us of the unconditional love between animals and humans. The animals are not for us to kill and eat."

Master looked after a wild swan couple, named Pitu and Sai, as they hatched their eggs and began raising their new family. One day, Pitu takes her little swans out for a day of flying. Sai is left behind, and Master quickly realizes why. "The bread doesn’t taste as good as when you are with your family, right, honey?" "It’s true, yeah!" "Thank you for answering, but just keep yourself strong, eat it so you get strong, and then your feathers will grow back, then you can fly with them. Poor Sai cannot fly, because you plucked them to lay the nest, right? You are a good father, you. I am proud of you, Sai Sai! You are a good boy!" "See the difference between their wings. The full-grown wings cover almost all the way, half to the tail, and the ones that are cut in half, it’s not covering anywhere to the tail. You can see the difference. And right now, Sai is not in a position to fly, because his wings are only half. He plucked it and laid on the ground for the children, so he cannot fly anymore. He has to wait for a while." Well, at least you can walk on the water. We humans, many cannot do it. Be happy, too. Yeah, you are happy, that’s cool!" The swans show the utmost loving care and concern for their offspring every day. "When they didn’t have babies yet, just eat and eat and eat. But when they have babies, they sacrifice. Oh, such a touching love. If all can love each other, even half of this, if humans love each other like this, then the world is a paradise." Seeing Master’s deep joy in caring for the animals reminds us that humanity’s true role is to be the protectors of our planet and all the beings on it. And we can also see that whether human or non-human, it’s a lot of work to raise children!

One of the “The Noble Wilds” cameramen recalls another instance when Master communicated with a swan who had been chasing the geese away from Amoura Lake. ‟ I remember when Master first called the swan, he came swimming to Her, stopping at a distance of a few meters and staying there, still, for all the time that Master communicated with him. He showed no sign of fear, but of interest. It felt like an exchange, different from our worldly communication – a to and fro of words, more like when you communicate with a dear friend, and it’s about what is happening, what is felt between the lines, the unspoken words, the pictures that arise. From that day on, the swan stopped chasing the geese on the lake. The geese came back and made their nests on that same lake." Master also met Pitu and Sai, a swan couple who made a nest together. ‟ Pitu, I brought you some bread again, honey. You’re a good girl. You’re a very diligent mum-mum. And you’re a vegetarian! So I have to serve you because you’re good-good." ‟The swans, usually, when their babies are just hatched, they are very protective about their babies. But in front of Master, it was not that case. It was like they trusted Her, and that’s how She could get very close to her" ‟Master told me: ‛This swan family consists of beings who came down here from a higher realm.’ According to Master, they were from the Fourth Level Realm. Master said that they are very pure and were always able to connect with Master. Whenever they talked to Master, they always gave Her important messages regarding this world. They loved Master very much. They said that because in this world, Master is very lonely and suffering a lot of pressure and pain from human beings’ karma. They said they wanted to come down here to be close to Master in order to encourage, protect, and take care of Master. When the lady Pitu (female swan) was hatching her eggs, Master pitched a tent nearby in order to look after her and observed the eggs every day as the beautiful and darling cygnets were preparing to come into the world."

“The Noble Wilds” is a luminous book that takes us to a dreamy Garden of Eden in the serene, secluded Amoura village in France. It is at the heart of this Village of Love that “the lady” resides and is visited by cherished beings of the wild. The gentle, benevolent “lady” is none other than Supreme Master Ching Hai! With the consent of these noble wilds, Supreme Master Ching Hai personally compiled this book, documenting their daily lives beside Amoura Lake. Through Her rhythmic, meditative words and resplendent photography, this precious gem opens the door to a world of unique beauty. Here, the reader can witness firsthand the noble spirit and dedication of our co-inhabitants whose homes are under the open sky. With every anecdote and photograph, Master’s deep love for all beings is readily apparent.Published in 2008, “The Noble Wilds” became a #1 international best-selling book. A documentary of the same name was also released, featuring precious videography of this beautiful time in Master’s life. Seeing the joy and delight that Master gets from caring for the animals reminds us that human beings are meant to be protectors of our planet and all that live upon it. Master unconditionally gives Her love and provides us with a superlative example of how to take care of God’s beings and the world that God has given to all of us. “They are a tremendous help to the world. They just help by their presence, because they are bringing divine power, pure power, undiluted, unpolluted power into this world. Even the fish in the river or the wild ducks, they bring blessings to your house, to your life, and they bring some inspiration invisibly to your knowing. But their presence will evoke in you something more than just a mundane occupation about food and clothes, and you will just get inspiration about something or an answer to some question which you did not know before.”“When Master communicated with the animals, She was kind of in another world. You could feel that Her focus had moved away from this physical, coarse world into another realm. And She let me have a glimpse of this other, very different world: shining, fine, fragile, with a deep, inbound happiness, an inner joy, and humility, out of which comes the thankfulness and the joy for being alive.”

We had the pleasure of speaking with Stephen Leahy about “Your Water Footprint.” He explained how we can significantly reduce our own water footprint in our daily lives. “Changing your food diet is the easiest way to reduce your water footprint. As I said, three or 4,000 liters of water you could save by switching to vegetarianism or veganism. Being careful when you’re shopping, buying local is a good idea, because then you know how it’s being produced, how much water has gone into it because you know the climate. I’m not buying things that are grown in places like Egypt, which are deserts. If you’re going to source your oranges, trying to source your oranges from a place that relies on rain and not irrigation, because irrigation is the most inefficient use of water. So, making good buying decisions, trying to maximize the life of anything you do buy. Any particular product – your shoes, or your clothing. Try and use them as long as possible and buy good quality when you buy them so that it will last a long time. Then you can reuse things, or go to a reuse store, or to a thrift store, and pick up something that somebody else has set aside.” To close our interview, Stephen Leahy shared an important message: “We’ve lost the traditional understanding that water is essential to life and that it is truthfully sacred. Not only do we need water for our own physical survival, it has given us everything we have. Everything that’s around us has come because we’ve had water, had enough water. So, there is no more important thing in our lives, truly, than water, and yet we seem not to realize it. So, I would like folks to understand that fact, but also to maybe give some respect to water, because water is so important to us, and to our lives, that maybe we need to go back to the days when people thought of springs as sacred, special places where fresh, clean water came. Because it really is something sacred and essential to our survival.” Stephen Leahy’s message is one that has been emphasized by Supreme Master Ching Hai time and again. “Scientists have documented that one serving of beef takes more than a thousand gallons of water to produce. By contrast, sir, the vegan diet uses about one-tenth of that amount. So, the water problem would also be completely solved if everyone is vegan. And as the killing karma (retribution) is reduced with people becoming vegan, all disasters will diminish, a more loving atmosphere will envelop our Earth, and we would not even have to worry about war between countries, because vegetarian (vegan) diet will make people feeling peaceful, more clear-headed. So consequently, each nation would naturally have sufficient resources and wholeheartedly exchange help to each other.”

Stephen Leahy is an international environmental journalist from Canada. In 2014, he released his book, “Your Water Footprint: The Shocking Facts About How Much Water We Use To Make Everyday Products.” Filled with informative graphics, the publication won the Lane Anderson Award for best science writing in Canada. For his work in documenting climate change impacts and solutions, Stephen Leahy also earned the Sustainability, Environmental Achievement, and Leadership (SEAL) Award for Environmental Journalism in both 2018 and 2019. “Water is our most important resource. But what we don't realize is we need water for everything else we have in our lives. There isn't anything that isn't made with water. Water footprint is the amount of water that it takes to make something.” “Water scarcity is a growing problem. Two in five people already experience water scarcity. That's going to go to three in five by 2025. This is a big part of climate change, but it's also the way in which we use water. We use water in poor ways, generally, around the world.” “Governments aren't aware of the water footprint concept, generally. They're generally, again, unaware of how much water it takes to do anything, to make anything, how much industries and our entire lifestyle is reliant on water. Agriculture takes about 70% of the world's water use. So, of all the water that we use as a species, agriculture accounts for 70% of it. so the question is: are we doing the best type of agriculture that minimizes the water use? In almost every case, we're doing the wrong things when it comes to our water use in agriculture, from irrigating deserts where most of the water is wasted, to this emphasis on meat production, which is a much more water-intensive way of producing food than just simply growing crops, and grains, and fruits.”