Today’s Animal World: Our Co-Inhabitants will be presented in Bunun and Chinese, with subtitles in Arabic, Aulacese (Vietnamese), Chinese, English, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Mongolian, 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.

Today, we’re sitting here to witness a very humble indigenous person who, instead of relying on educational background, skills or power, uses his inner qualities and the wisdom inherited from his ancestors to realize harmony with nature. He has succeeded and received a response.

Welcome, wonderful viewers, to another edition of the Shining World Award series. Lin Yuan-Yuan, a member the indigenous Bunun mountain people of Formosa (Taiwan), is a mountain ranger at the Nan-an Visitors’ Center in Yushan National Park. He is known for moving from the role of a hunter of the Formosan Black Bear into a protector of this precious endangered species that is a victim of widespread poaching and habitat loss.

When asked in a media interview about his feelings regarding his changed lifestyle, Ranger Lin said, “I feel happy every time I’m in the mountains. When I see an animal, I no longer want to shoot it. I want to film it.”

My father once asked me to take a bottle to an old graveyard at 8 pm - three times – in order to test my courage. After that, my father said, “You’re probably qualified to go into the mountains in the future.” In addition to my father some elders agreed that I could spend my life on the mountain. One of them said to me, “In the future this mountain will belong to you forever. You will stay in the mountain and it will make you rich.”

After working in the National Park for over 20 years, I have come to understand the meaning of the elder’s words. I understand what he meant. I’m very familiar with these mountains. It’s all due to the teachings of our ancestors.

The mountain is a very sacred place to the Bunun people as retired Bunun priest Mr. Zhang Yu-Fa explains.

We, Bunun people are the protectors of the mountains and forests because we live around the Jade Mountain. We, as parents, older people, already believe that there is an invisible, mysterious power in the mountains, and we respect it very much.

When I patrol the mountain or go to Dafen, I always start from here. I tell the ancestors in the mountains that I’m setting off. I say, for example, “I am leaving now. I will go to Walami today, tomorrow I will be in Bao-ia, and the day after I will go to Dafen. Please help to remove the stones, the branches and any undesirable things along the way.”

By living in the mountains for many years and learning skills from his father, Ranger Lin is well versed in wilderness survival.

For carrying water, you can drink it from this.

Have you encountered any danger when bringing tourists here?

Tourists?

Like, maybe it suddenly started raining very hard?

Yes!

How did you deal with that?

For example, when I took Professor Yang Yang-Jing to Dafen, we encountered a typhoon and couldn’t pass through the valley.

Yes.

We had to come back. They were surprised that I found a huge rock. We rested under the rock that night.

You found a huge rock?

Yes. We spent one night there. The heavy rain didn’t stop. The rock was so huge that we could sleep in the space under it.

How did you know there was a huge rock? Did you find it by chance or did you know it already?

My father had brought me there before and showed me.

In the olden days, the Bunun, who are mountain dwellers, communicated with one another and other indigenous peoples in a very unique way. Here’s how it’s done.

There was no telephone before. When there was a family event, for example, when there was going to be a wedding in five days or one week, we would deliver the message by shouting. For example, he lived there and the other person lived here. They would find a very quiet place for their tribe and use it for shouting exclusively to those who lived across the valley. Then those people who lived across the valley could hear clearly, but those who lived behind it couldn’t. So these people would shout across to those on the other side, and people on that side would shout to the next tribe and so on.

How do you do this?

Like this: “la la la la la la la la oh~~”

Does it mean that someone is getting married in your family?

No! It means I’m inviting you to my house for a special event. There are several ways of shouting. For example: “muhuba mu~~”

What does it mean?

It is asking someone to come over.

Asking someone to come here? (Yes!)

Safeguarding the animals of Yushan National Park is a large responsibility. Ranger Lin teams up with three other park staff members to patrol the grounds on foot every month, covering as much as 40% of the Park’s 105,000 hectares (260,000 acres).

I have been working in the National Park for a long time. Although the work is exhausting, I feel good in my heart. I need to protect the mountain of my ancestors and the animals. I gradually got to know them well.

In 1996, Yushan National Park established the “Conservation Group for Black Bears Project” to actively work on ecological study and preservation of Formosan Black Bears. Hwang Mei-Hsiu, an Associate Professor at the National Pingtung University of Science and Technology’s Institute of Wildlife Conservation, has been studying the bears since 1998 and works closely with Ranger Lin in her endeavors. Thus Ranger Lin has been instrumental in Formosan Black Bear protection efforts for many years.

I’ve worked with several research groups in the Yushan National Park. I guided them. I’ve worked with Hwang Mei-Hsiu on her study of Black Bears for several years. I know now that the study of animals is related to humans.

The reason for illegal hunting is simply the existence of the black market. Some buy and some sell. In fact, the primary culprit is the buyer who asks for the gall bladder and paws of bears, and eats bear meat. Brother Lin is a very important reason I chose Yushan National Park to start my Black Bear study. I noticed that Mr. Lin is very familiar with the forest.

To me, a researcher from the outside, he would be able to give much guidance. He would be a guide. But later I found that he turned out to be a great mentor in my life. I always call him “Big Brother.” I am a researcher and I admire his relationship with the land. I respect and admire him very much. For example, he treats the animals, the plants, and every kind of species on the mountain with respect. People like him respect nature.

For his dedicated work to conserve the Formosan Black Bears of Yushan National Park, Supreme Master Ching Hai honored Ranger Lin Yuan-Yuan with the Shining World Compassion Award.

In recognition of Immense Bravery and Loving Care and Protection Providing Freedom and Sanctuary for Formosa’s Majestic Black Bears Inspiring Ever Higher Ideals of Kindness and Respect for All Beings

Along with the Award, Supreme Master Ching Hai sent a letter of gratitude and appreciation to Ranger Lin for his noble work. The following is a reading of the letter.

Dear Ranger Lin, It is with great admiration and gratitude that we present to you the “Shining World Compassion Award.” This Award is presented in recognition of your outstanding success in protecting the Black Bears of Yushan National Park, for your selfless spirit of service towards animals in need and your wisdom, which helps keep society and nature in balance. Compassionately responding to the needs of these beautiful yet endangered species, you have devoted your life as the revered guardian of these rare ‘kings of the forest.’

Your invaluable knowledge of the bears’ habitat and behavior is helping park management make the right decisions to ensure the conservation of these magnificent beings for all to enjoy. Thank you, Ranger Lin, for showing that animals belong in their natural habitat and will thrive if left to enjoy their lives in peace and happiness. Your two decades of dedication protecting and nurturing these shy creatures is an inspiring achievement, a fine example of love in action for all to follow. Often walking and climbing almost impassable trails in risky, mountainous regions for their sake is a heroic effort which has already resulted in positive steps towards their continued survival.

May the majestic Formosan Black Bears flourish evermore in safety and well-being on a gentle and long-lasting planet. Wishing you Heaven’s protection and blessings, Ranger Lin. For bravely protecting the Yushan Black Bears, for your loving connection with Mother Earth and unconditional kindness, and for being a dedicated and noble role model, we hereby applaud and celebrate the compassionate deeds of Mountain Ranger Yuan-Yuan Lin, caretaker and guardian of the forests. With Great Honor, Love and Blessings, Supreme Master Ching Hai

Thank you, Supreme Master. I’m so glad to receive this Award from you today in Nan-an. Thank you!

In addition to the Award and letter, Supreme Master Ching Hai provided Ranger Lin with US$10,000 to support his noble work.

Who is singing loudly in the mountains?
It’s Iser singing loudly there.

All strong men are like him. This is the ancient teaching from our ancestors.
Lead everyone to the peak of the mountain to sing out loud.

Those who are called “the wise.” are all very sincere.
Those who are called “the brave” are all far-sighted.
The teachings of the ancestors are now very clearly understood.
Keep moving forward, and you will surely get higher and higher.
With Heaven’s grace, everyone is protected.

Ranger Lin also received from Supreme Master Ching Hai a selection of her DVDs and books including “From Crisis to Peace,” “The Realization of Health” and her #1 international bestsellers “The Birds In My Life,” “The Dogs In My Life” and “The Noble Wilds.”

Our warmest congratulations to you Ranger Lin Yuan-Yuan for being honored with the Shining World Compassion Award. May you continue to vigilantly safeguard the Formosan Black Bears of Yushan National Park, while enlightening the public about the beauty and majesty of these beautiful, endangered beings.

Friendly viewers, we thank you for watching this edition of the Shining World Award series. May love forever permeate our splendid world.