Love in Action

Taipei, Formosa

Promoting a Healthy Lifestyle
 among Seniors
By the Taipei News Group (Originally in Chinese)

In June of this Golden Year 3, Taipei initiates contributed Master’s books, News Magazines and Alternative Living flyers to the Zhao Ru Elderly Care Center in Mu Zha. On June 26, the Taipei Center held a seminar to promote a healthy lifestyle and diet among the senior citizens in response to a request by Tsai Yin, Superintendent of the Care Center.

Doctor Chen Weihua from the Tri-Service General Hospital spoke on the benefits of a vegetarian diet, approaching the topic from many different perspectives and explaining the detrimental effects of a meat diet. He elaborated on the three principles of health: a vegetarian diet, appropriate exercise, as well as cultivating oneself and meditation. He explained the profound theories in simple day-to-day language to more than a hundred senior citizens, who listened attentively and later raised many questions. Then, for twenty minutes, a brother guided them through an eight-part exercise activity. The senior citizens easily learned the simple movements, and happily performed them. They also watched a videotape of Master answering questions during a lecture. The activity ended after the video, with Superintendent Tsai requesting that we arrange to teach the simple form of meditation to the seniors on another occasion since the elderly already sat for more than two hours.

However, one of the seniors remained seated and was reluctant to leave. She wanted to learn to meditate. This glowing Granny Deng looked about sixty or seventy, but was already eighty-four years old! A gentleman who was pacing at the door joined her in learning the Convenient Method. Granny Deng said that she felt great after meditation. Several days later, we gave her a CD of Master’s Buddhist Chanting. She used to recite Buddhist Sutras in the past, so now she chants along with Master’s voice. She said that she concentrated well when she meditated with Master’s chanting playing in the background. She was happily surprised when she heard Master’s Buddhist chanting coming from both her loudspeakers, one of which had broken down before the Lunar New Year in January.

In yet another effort to encourage the seniors to be vegetarians, the Taipei Center prepared two hundred boxes of vegetarian snacks for the birthday party held by the Care Center on July 29. The Care Center ordered two big eggless cakes in coordination with the local initiates’ promotion of the compassionate vegetarian diet. Fellow initiates brought several big Alternative Living posters, which Director Tsai and her staff posted in easily seen spots in the hall. We suggested that the “The Real Heroes” DVD be played in the hall as much as possible. We also recommended that culinary experts be invited to demonstrate vegetarian cooking in order to improve the chef’s skills. Hopefully these steps will encourage the seniors to choose a vegetarian diet.

The Zhao Ru Care Center is affiliated with the Heng-an Care Center Network. Vice President Lin Xiuxia of the Network and Director Gong Suying, head of the Yangming Senior Apartment, were present at the event and agreed with the content of the poster. They took some posters for posting at their institutions. Director Gong was full of praise and admiration for Master’s graceful demeanor. She read the News Magazine carefully, gazing at Master’s pictures and exclaiming “Beautiful!” To her, Master radiated mystic beauty.