Today’s program will be presented in Aulacese (Vietnamese), with subtitles in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Thai.

Everywhere in the world, we can observe and be touched by acts of kindness. People from all walks of life, faiths, and cultures extend themselves beyond the call of duty to help others unconditionally. Through their noble deeds, humanity as a whole is elevated.

To commend virtuous actions and encourage more people to be inspired by their examples, Supreme Master Ching Hai has lovingly created a series of awards, including the Shining World Leadership Award, Shining World Compassion Award, Shining World Hero and Heroine Awards, Shining World Honesty Award, Shining World Protection Award, Shining World Intelligence Award, and Shining World Inventor Award, to recognize some of the most exemplary, generous, caring, and courageous people who walk amongst us.

In a blessed land that has produced many heroes and saints throughout its ancient history, Âu Lạc (Vietnam) continues to be graced with modern-day exemplars of compassion, selflessness and high ideals.

I think what I do is nothing great compared to others. That’s what I think.

In an article by Trình Thu Trâm about Phú Yên province, the writer described the now-prosperous region: “This season, standing on top of the Rice Field Hill looking down, the view of the mountainous landscape of Phú Mỡ Village is of a vibrant green.

The emerald hue of majestic mountains, the verdant color of sugarcane and corn fields, and the green of wet rice fields, still young and fresh, creates a beautiful scene. In the way grains are made to keep the villagers well-fed, everybody is grateful to village elder Ma Nghĩa. He is affectionately called, ‘The Elder Who Enriches the Village.’”

I think love is above all. Seeing that other people are more deprived and miserable than I am, I think I should help them with what I can.

A humble rice farmer in Phú Yên province, Mr. Ma Nghĩa stays up nights contemplating on how to better the lives of his fellow citizens. He recognized that in his small community, there were those who were enduring hunger and poverty. Mr. Ma thought of a creative, yet simple solution.

If everyone always shares with one another, not only the country but also the whole world will have a better life living together. I am only a simple inhabitant of this Earth. I am not a leader to direct this effort, but I have thought a lot about this.

To balance the community’s unequal food distribution, Mr. Ma Nghĩa, the village elder at 72 years of age, led by magnanimous example and offered all of his family’s 1.6 hectares of rice fields to the whole village. His generosity of heart and compassion for others extended to a fatherless child. In offering a warm home and financial assistance to the young boy, Mr. Ma Nghĩa demonstrated once again his unconditional and selfless love.

Thus, I think I must help them with all my effort. For example, there was a fatherless child whose mother is mentally ill. Now he is studying in college. I thought that if I let his mother raise him, his mother would not have had the means to send him to school. So, I must support him so that he could grow up until now.

With Mr. Ma Nghĩa’s example and encouragement, fellow villagers were inspired and followed suit in sharing their wet rice lands, thereby effectively eliminating hunger in their community. By dividing the harvests, no matter the season, everybody always had enough to eat.

It is the same with paddy fields. If people have no paddy fields or their paddy fields cannot be cultivated twice a year, I share my rice fields with them. Also, I must be an example to others. Even though some people have only one or two sao (360 square meters) or half a sao of paddy fields, but they also follow my example.

Mr. Ma Nghĩa also convinced villagers to abandon the practice of cutting down forests for farmland. By offering food stability with his farming project, he has enabled people to focus on community development and cultural preservation, especially that of the ethnic minority groups in the region.

District chairman Trần Xuân Thập said, “The model has also helped assure food security and has stabilized the local community.” The remarkable “land revolution” transformed the rural village into a model of sustainable and harmonious living for other communities to emulate.

If we only talk but do not be an example first, no one will listen to us. Even now, I am already advanced in years but I always think that way. The collective interest must take precedence over that of our own family. Because the individual cannot exist without the community.

We live with our community, with our villagers and with all people. We should think like that. If we live for ourselves, who can we live with? Can we be happy when others are hungry, miserable, when we have enough or more to eat but others are deprived? Therefore, we must do what we can to help.

For his equitable and eco-friendly farming model and courageous leadership, Mr. Ma Nghĩa was recognized with the Shining World Hero Award from Supreme Master Ching Hai. She also contributed US$10,000 to further his village’s project. In addition, he was gifted with an array of Supreme Master Ching Hai’s lecture and poetry DVDs and CDs.

On this occasion of receiving the Award, I would like to wish Supreme Master Ching Hai abundance in health and longevity.

Today, my deeds are praised not only in my local region and throughout the country but also worldwide. So, I feel very honored. In order to be worthy of this Award, I will try my best to mobilize people to continue this effort. At the same time, as long as I am still healthy, I will strive to contribute to my local region and my country.

Mr. Ma Nghĩa’s ingenuity and compassion has surely helped his fellow villagers as well as many other Aulacese people to a better quality of life. After these brief messages, we will be right back with the Shining World Hero Award presentation for three brave Aulacese (Vietnamese) students. Please stay tuned to Supreme Master Television.

Live a useful life for our society; love and take care of each other.

Welcome back to our program on the Shining World Hero Award presentation. In Aulacese (Vietnamese) folklore, the people of this beautiful nation are believed to be descendants of the dragon and fairy, and imbued within their nature are the dignified characteristics of their ancestors such as courage, selflessness, grace.

Exemplifying these admirable qualities are three youths from the mountainous region of Nghệ An, the largest province on the north-central coast of Âu Lạc (Vietnam). October 21, 2009 was to be an ordinary school day like any other. Students gathered as usual at the riverbank and boarded the ferry to cross the Hiếu River. Seeing that the ferry was filled to capacity, Lương Văn Thắng, Vi Văn Nhất and Lương Văn Tình, students of Hạnh Thiết Secondary School, stayed behind to wait for the next boat.

On October 21, 2009 around 6:00 am, when I arrived at the river, I saw a ferry capsize in the middle of the river.

While my friend, Tình, and I waited, we saw the ferry reach the middle of the river and capsize.

Seeing our friends’ ferry capsized, brother Thắng jumped into the river, and I followed him. I rescued and brought 4 people to safety. I swam out, grasped at the hair of whomever I found and pulled them in. I saved 3 friends.

At great risk to their own lives, the three youths did not hesitate to jump into the swiftly flowing river to answer their friends’ desperate calls for help. With their quick actions and selfless spirit, Tình, Nhất, and Thắng were able to save the precious lives of 16 schoolmates on this fateful day.

At that time, I was only concerned for my friends’ safety, so I jumped into the river and rescued anyone that I could.

I am Trần Thị Thảo, a teacher and the principal of Hạnh Thiết Junior High School, Quỳ Trâu town, Nghệ An Province.

As the principal of the school where there are such students, I am very happy.

And today, especially today, the international organization of Supreme Master Ching Hai, though from afar, knows about this small, rural school in a remote mountainous region of western Nghệ An and knows of the students’ names and invited them here. This is the first time they have come to the capital. That already makes us happy, and now we’re truly touched upon arriving here and are greeted with such indescribable affection. Aside from the mental support, there is material support for the students.

For their courage and life-saving endeavors, Supreme Master Ching Hai recognized Lương Văn Thắng, Vi Văn Nhất and Lương Văn Tình with the Shining World Hero Award.

We respectfully honor the noble deeds of Lương Văn Thắng, Vi Văn Nhất, Lương Văn Tình. You are like guardian angels of Hạnh Thiết Junior High School. With Honor, Love and Blessings, Supreme Master Ching Hai.

All three of us are grateful to Supreme Master Ching Hai and The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association.

I’d like to thank Supreme Master Ching Hai and The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association.

I’m very touched by Supreme Master Ching Hai’s love. I’d like to thank Supreme Master Ching Hai.

In addition, Supreme Master Ching Hai gifted each young hero with US$500 to help with school necessities. The three students are farming families, whose parents struggle hard to make ends meet to provide for the children’s education. In particular, Tình suffers from ongoing kidney problems but his family has not had the financial means to treat it.

I want the poor to be able to go to school everyday like we do. I want to be stronger physically and healthier. I want to use this money to cure me of sickness, so I will be healthier. I also want to be a useful person for the society. I must be a good example for my friends to follow.

This monetary gift, I will give it to my parents, so they can help my friends buy more school supplies.

Principal Trần Thị Thảo and Lương Văn Thắng represented the students to express their deep gratitude to Supreme Master Ching Hai for the esteemed honor as well as her care for them.

On behalf of all the teachers and the students in the school, at this mountainous region of Nghệ An, I would like to thank your noble heart and the humanitarian-based international organization. Your favour will forever be ingrained in our hearts. Once more, we would like to thank Supreme Master Ching Hai and wish her good health.

Again, I’d like to thank and wish Supreme Master Ching Hai good health. I hope that Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association is able to carry out many charitable works, contribute a lot to our society and preserve our world’s blue sky.

We express our thankfulness to Mr. Ma Nghĩa and Lương Văn Thắng, Vi Văn Nhất and Lương Văn Tình for their hearts of love and admirable spirit of sacrifice that are truly representative of their noble heritage.

Brilliant viewers, it was a pleasure to have your company today. Words of Wisdom is up next, after Noteworthy News, here on Supreme Master Television. May all beings flourish in Heaven’s grace.

Known as one of the most gifted and dedicated actors in Hollywood, Sally Kirkland attributes her success to her lifelong spiritual practice.

It’s interesting how the minute I said I didn’t want to act anymore, suddenly everybody wanted me. And so then came a number of these big films. I was trying to talk Robert Redford into doing yoga and Barbra Streisand, and I just felt like, well, this must be my calling, to teach them about chanting and doing Hatha Yoga and meditation and breathing.

Sally Kirkland, a star of spiritual beauty. Wednesday, June 2 on Enlightening Entertainment.