I would like to say thank you for people who actually go out there and make a difference, people who stand up for what they believe in, aren’t afraid of any lash back or ramifications of their actions and actually go and do something about it. It’s not hard to make a difference. Every one of us can do just one thing every day that can make a difference.

I am thankful for the people, mostly for the friendship, and the people that I am able to meet, to be able to live with in different countries.

I’m very thankful for my family and God. And if it wasn’t for God, I wouldn’t have my family.

Gracious viewers, thank you for joining us for today’s program. From the magnanimous sun that warms our days to animal benefactors who co-inhabit our Earth to noble beings whose presence elevates the planet, our world is abundant with Heaven’s gifts. In prayers or meditation, people reserve time to express deep appreciation for the vast universe that cares for every being.

In God’s grace, we experience life’s joys, learning lessons and divine blessings. All which aids the growth of our spirit, we are ever grateful to the Creator. We now invite you to enjoy Supreme Master Ching Hai’s poem entitled, “Thanksgiving.”

I thank You God My friend, My confidant, My all. For all the pains And all the gains, That You've bestowed Upon this poor soul. As these are my inspiration In those happy days, In those lonely nights. The poetry, the painting The raiments, The gold and diamond, The designs superb... They are the offsprings of unexpected events That come into my life. Thus the inner nightingale was awakened, By the hurricanes of existence. Singing melodious sweet songs, The heart to gladden. I laughed gratefully, I cried with my wholesome heart! Praising You, Blaming Thee! But You are always with me My eternal Beloved.

Through time and again I wish to escape pains But they are like fertilizers And pleasures Like the rain Combined to bring the full bloom Into my garden of abundance. Now I know the lotus seeds Need muddy water to grow. The rotten composts are necessary To glorify the beautiful rose. Oh indeed! One can look into the heart of a flower And find God there. One cannot be great Without being small. (at the same time, perhaps)! I thank You my God My Friend, My Confidant, My All...

In the United States, Thanksgiving Day is observed annually on the fourth Thursday of November. It is a time for blissful reunions of families and friends. In this holiday season of love, we would like to take this opportunity to appreciate the multifold gifts bestowed upon us by the Divine.

Thanksgiving actually is my favorite holiday because it is the one that encourages us to take time to reflect on our lives and give thanks to God. And I think that’s something that is really wonderful. It promotes a general spirit of togetherness and family ties and thankfulness.

It is an American tradition to hold a grand feast fashioned after the first Thanksgiving meal commemorating the help extended by the Native Americans to the English pilgrims when they first arrived on the continent. Many families mistakenly believe that the early pilgrims feasted on turkey and unfortunately continue to serve meat during their holiday meals. Historical advisor Rynn Berry clarifies this misconception in his article, “The First Vegetarian Thanksgiving”: “Most of the food at this festival was supplied by Native Americans. It was a meal that the Pilgrims had never witnessed, consisting of native American foodstuffs.

The main meal was a sort of corn meal mush along with nuts and fruits such as gooseberries, strawberries, plums, cherries, cranberries and a groundnut known as the bogg bean. Popcorn and popcorn balls made by the Indians with maple syrup were served as a sweet. There was a variety of breadstuffs such as cornpone, ashcakes, and hoe cakes, made by Native Americans from their own recipes. It is also possible that other native foods such as pumpkin and squash were served. In his Food Encyclopedia, James Trager tells us that there is a live possibility that turkey wasn't even served. Not only was it probably turkeyless, but it was mainly vegetarian. Doesn't it make more sense, therefore, that instead of celebrating Thanksgiving as an orgy of turkey slaughter, Americans should celebrate a vegetarian harvest festival?”

Hallo, I'm Dr. Michael Klaper. I'm saddened every year that one of God's most magnificent creatures is slaughtered, really needlessly, in the name of a holiday that celebrates life. Turkeys, especially these days, are filled with saturated fats and antibiotics and growth-promoting hormones. The environmental cost that these huge turkey installations farms create is a real negative factor for all our waterways and on every level. And I think it's time that we graduated or evolved our viewing of the Thanksgiving holiday to one that really celebrates life on all levels, including those of the turkeys as well.

Indeed, the uplifting spirit of Thanksgiving transcends food and worldly pleasures, embracing all of God’s creations in mercy and compassion. In November 2006, during an International Seminar in Thailand, Supreme Master Ching Hai explains the true meaning of Thanksgiving to our Association members:

This is our Thanksgiving But we give thanks quietly in our heart by sitting here and thank God in our own way. It’s better than killing turkeys and eating and drinking and making even more non-father babies or losing job or losing friends or losing neighbor over being drunk. So this is our Thanksgiving.

Sometimes we make it at Christmas. Sometimes we make it at Buddha’s Birthday. Sometimes we make a retreat on Thanksgiving, but we do quietly. We really thank God, and God knows it. We are not thanking God through the turkey. Because I don’t think the turkey speaks better than human to God. So, the poor turkeys. Yes, anyway it’s good that you enjoy the Thanksgiving here quietly — the real Thanksgiving.

Across the globe, people express their joy and thankfulness through a variety of exuberant displays that is in harmony with nature and all beings. With much to be grateful for, one of the ways individuals reflect on their blessings is through unique songs and dances.

Every year after a harvest, we make thanksgiving to God, then we share. There are also songs that we sing to thank God for the rain and to ask God for rain and the rain comes.

What does the rainbow symbolize?

The rainbow means that the rain has fallen well enough.

And what do you do when it appears?

Like I’ve said before, when the rain stops, we pray and thank God because we are going to have a big harvest, and we can be able to share with those who have little.

Heaven bless us Heaven bless us Heaven bless us In the name of the Father We have been saved We have been saved We have been saved In the name of the Father

I’m thankful for the amount of biodiversity that we’ve still got in our oceans, and thankful for all the people that are helping us to help save those oceans.

Songs of thankfulness and praise, Jesus, Lord, to thee we raise, manifested by the star to the sages from afar; branch of royal David's stem in thy birth at Bethlehem; anthems be to thee addressed, God in man made manifest.

I was never really interested in how Korean cabbage grows and how precious it is, but as the cabbage price went up a lot recently, I got very concern and realized a lot of valuable lessons. Like I felt how hard farmers toil to harvest it, and thanks to that, we can eat it. On this opportunity, I'm so thankful to the farmers who've worked so hard.

On this Thanksgiving Day, we should thank our Earth for providing us with such a good environment. Try to imagine! In the whole universe, this is the only place suitable for us to live. Therefore, we must endeavor to protect her, so that we can have a sustainable development. So, I hope all of us will thank our Earth, protect her, and offer our boundless love to her, because she cares for us and nurtures us. Thank you!

Thanks for everything that I have right now and everything that people have. Please don’t forget that God is the one who helps us all, and keep praying for peace, world peace.

People often find themselves preoccupied with the demands of a fast-paced world. Yet with an instance of deep contemplation can come a bright realization. Let us treasure life, for every moment on Earth is a gift from our Creator. On the occasion of Supreme Master Television’s 4th anniversary concert titled, “Gifting Peace,” Supreme Master Ching Hai’s poem, “For the Afternoon Walk,” was set to music by Oscar and Grammy- winning composer David Shire and sung by Grammy-winning singer and songwriter Melissa Manchester.

Thanks for the hours Thanks for the days Thanks for the seconds Thanks for the nights.

All the times we spent together Are still in my mind, Mountains and rivers Were our paradise!

We were with the fall Beautiful golden wood Picking raspberries Happy like in childhood.

We were with nature Walking miles along Far away is the future In horizons unknown.

How long will it last? We’re asking ourselves, The answer is there Somewhere I can’t tell.

Thanks for the hours Thanks for the days Thanks for the seconds Thanks for the nights.

I loved “For the Afternoon Walk” because gratitude is a central pillar of my life. And to sing a song that says, “Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, over and over, thank you for the hours, thank you for the days, thank you for the seconds, thank you for the nights,” it puts me, immediately into a positive, sweet place. The place where I want to be, the place where I feel most connected with spirit.

And so to sing a song that really sculpts that feeling so beautifully, it’s a gift for me as a singer.

In a videoconference with Supreme Master Television staff on October 3, 2010, Supreme Master Ching Hai expressed her heartfelt gratitude for all the universal assistance provided to our earthly abode.

I thank all beings all the time. I thank them all the time. I thank Heaven all the time. I thank whatever, whoever can help us; I thank them all the time in the name of all human beings and all other beings on this planet. Every day I am thankful. Every day I'm on my knees to thank about many things that other beings are doing for us – and we don't even know to say even “thank you.” I have to thank them for all humans’ sake, for all beings, the sake of all beings on this planet.

How blessed we are to be born into this magnificent world full of life and love from the Divine. Let us demonstrate our respect and thankfulness for all God’s creations through a compassionate, vegan lifestyle. On the occasion of Thanksgiving, we would also like to convey our deep gratitude to you, Supreme Master Ching Hai, for your tender care and selfless dedication to saving the planet for all beings. May your enduring love and the collected efforts of all concerned citizens soon manifest through an Eden on Earth.

During this time of giving thanks to God, I think it’s really important that we make sure that we consider God’s other creatures. And that we not spend the day killing His other creations in order to celebrate His blessings to us.

I want to wish everyone a very happy Thanksgiving, and think deeply in your heart all the wonderful blessings that you have, your health, your family, this wonderful country, this beautiful planet; and let all of your actions, including what you're having for dinner, be a celebration of all the blessings we've been given.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day, a true Thanksgiving Day, thanks to the Providence.

Amiable viewers, thank you for joining us for today’s A Journey through Aesthetic Realms. Please stay tuned to Supreme Master Television for Vegetarianism: The Noble Way of Living, after Noteworthy News. Joyful are hearts that are always filled with thankfulness for Heaven’s grace.