In addition to his renowned epic novels, Leo Tolstoy wrote essays and letters that conveyed the spiritual truths he came to realize in life. Along with adopting and promoting the vegetarian diet, he became deeply interested in spirituality and living by the ethical teachings of Christ. Supreme Master Ching Hai spoke about the uplifting nature of Leo Tolstoy’s work during a group meditation session with our Association members in July 1997, in Los Angeles, USA. “Because Tolstoy was a practitioner. That's why when you read his stories, most stories are about spiritual things, about God, and very happy and very positive. It's very good to read him, to read his books. You try. If you haven't, you try. You can read more. Such thing is very good for you.” We would like to share with you an insightful excerpt from Volume 2 of “The Pathway of Life,” called “On Refraining.” “Men spoil their lives not so much by failing to do what they ought to do, as by doing that which they ought not to do. Therefore, the greatest effort man requires in the attainment of a good life is to refrain from doing that which he ought not to do.” “A man can only then know what he ought to do when he clearly understands what he ought not to do. Refraining from doing that which he ought not to do, he will inevitably do the things which he ought to do, though he may not realize why he is doing that which he does.” “If you desire something so much that you feel you cannot restrain yourself, do not trust yourself. It is untrue that a man cannot restrain himself from anything. Only he cannot restrain himself who has in advance convinced himself that he cannot restrain himself.” “Less harm results from not doing that which we ought to do than from failing to forbear doing that which we ought not to do.” “If you feel that you have not the strength to restrain yourself from a physical craving, the cause will be found in the fact that you failed to restrain yourself when you could and the craving has become a habit.” “People frequently proudly abstain from innocent amusements saying that they have no time for them, that they are busy. Yet apart from the fact that a good-natured and merry game is more needful and important than many kinds of business, the very business for the sake of which they forego pleasure is frequently of such nature that it were better left undone.” 除了他著名的史詩小說，列夫·托爾斯泰撰寫的短文與書信傳達在生活中領悟的靈性真理。除了實踐與推廣素食，他對靈性產生強烈興趣，並且依循基督的倫理教義生活。 清海無上師曾於一九九七年七月，在美國洛杉磯與世界會會員共修時，談到托爾斯泰的作品提振人心的特質。「因為托爾斯�� ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-1BKqivMVc

In today’s news, 今日新聞提要： our Beloved Supreme Master Ching Hai presents Shining World Compassion Award to Chilean founder of online platform that spreads vegan message, 我們摯愛的清海無上師頒發光耀世界愛心獎給傳播純素訊息的智利網上平台創始人； NASA and European Space Agency record twin solar eruptions in high detail for first time, 美國國家航空暨太空總署與歐洲太空總署首次詳細記錄兩次太陽噴發； report advocates expanding woodlands in United Kingdom, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, enhances city life with majestic natural park, 報告建議英國、阿布達比、阿拉伯聯合大公國擴充林地，以雄偉的自然公園提升城市生活； India’s national cricket team captain opens two animal shelters near Mumbai, 印度國家板球隊隊長在孟買附近開設兩家動物庇護所； Canadian jerky company goes vegan and sees profits soar 加拿大肉乾公司轉向純素且見證收益飆升； Russian emergency workers rescue baby duck from storm drain. 俄羅斯緊急援救人員從下水道中救出小鴨。 ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6NLrcVVuHE

Joke of the Day~ Obvious Question 今日笑話~ 顯而易見的問題 ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVeJSzHs82M

Across this vast African continent live 19 species of elephant shrews or sengis, including us, the round-eared elephant shrews. We are quite small, about the size of rodents. Each species has their own territory, and we can be found in various regions except for Western Africa and the Sahara Desert. Our name comes from our elongated noses which are like an elephant’s trunk, and our small, round bodies which are similar to a shrew’s body. Our hind legs are long and slender for our size, but they are very strong, so we can run at speeds of up to 28.8 kilometers per hour; that’s really fast for our size! Our powerful hind legs also enable us to hop like rabbits and jump as high as one meter in the air! All of our elephant shrew family like to make homes in warm places, and we round-eared elephant shrews are no exception. Some species build nests out of leaves on the forest floor, some construct complicated trails through leaf litter, and some use natural crevices as their shelters. We are very well adapted to all kinds of environments. Even when the temperature is high, we can use a technique called evaporative water loss to maintain our body temperature at 35°C. We elephant shrews are very loyal to our partners. Once we find our mate, we bond with them for life. We raise our babies and protect our shared home and territory together. However, we don’t act too clingy and give each other space. We know that the family is connected through our love and caring actions towards each other. That is true love! Female sengis give birth to one or two babies after a gestation of 56 days and may produce several litters a year. We elephant shrews have been living on this beautiful land in Africa for countless generations. Nevertheless, we are facing the threat of the fragmentation of our habitats by logging and clearing land for agricultural use and urban development. This makes it more and more difficult for us to find mates and suitable homes. We hope that people can conserve our homeland and stop destroying our habitats, so that we can continue to live our lives and play our roles in the ecosystems of the beautiful Earth. 在這片廣闊的非洲大陸上生活著十九種象鼩，包括我們，圓耳象鼩。我們的體型相當小，與囓齒類動物差不多大。每個物種都有自己的領地，除了西非和撒哈拉沙漠，能在各個地區找到我們。我們的名字來自細長鼻子，就像大象的鼻子，以及我們又小又圓的身體，就像鼩鼱的身體。與我們的體型相比，我們的後腿又長又細，但它們非常強壯，因此能以每小時廿八‧八公里的速度奔跑；對我們的體型來說，真快！我們強勁有力的後腿能夠像兔子般跳躍，在空中跳高達一米！ 所有象鼩家 ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rBYJXljHoc