By sister-initiate Yang Dong-yin, Keelung, Formosa (Originally in Chinese)

On October 30, the Keelung Environmental Protection Bureau held the 2004 Autumn Beach Cleaning Activity for Greater Voluntary Participation at Changtanli Beach in Badouzi. As in previous years, The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association participated earnestly in this public-interest event.

Years of experience have made local fellow initiates experts in beach cleaning. More importantly, participation in such events has helped the sisters and brothers develop the good habit of cleanliness so that they immediately move to clean up the environment whenever they encounter a mess.

In fact, once when a doctor from the National Taiwan University Hospital learned that I was a disciple of Supreme Master Ching Hai, he humorously asked me, “Are your fellow practitioners addicted to cleanliness?” He had come home one day, thinking he had entered the wrong house, for it had been cleaned and tidied up by a fellow initiate who was visiting his family. Thus, fellow initiates evidently exhibit their good quality of cleanliness wherever they go.

On this topic, Master once said, “Loving cleanliness is also a kind of charity because we bring feelings of comfort to the people around us.” Perhaps there is no one who really dislikes clean and beautiful places. So for initiates, beach cleaning not only serves the public interest, but also helps develop the good quality of cleanliness and helps to beautify every corner of the world.