Commissioner Avila (m): Your words have made an impact， especially in our audience，today. I deeply appreciate your gracious acceptance to grant me an interview. Supreme Master， would you like to share a few remarks to close this interview session？ It would be our honor.

Supreme Master Ching Hai: Yes，sir. I obey your command. Since actually today is about poetry，yes？ Commissioner Avila (m): Yes.

Supreme Master Ching Hai: About the new poetry book， and then by the way we talk the heavens and Earth， which is also very important- more important than my book - but since we are here for the poetry book， 『The Love of Centuries，』 I would like to read you a new poem， if everybody has time and would still like to sit there to listen？ Commissioner Avila (m): Yes. Thank you.

Supreme Master Ching Hai: Okay. This is the newest poem， and you are the first ones to hear it. This is about a love for a family member.

We have been together For over ten years， Including the times I took leave.
Your love has always been constant， Growing more with my joy and grief.
Ever since you came into my life I am the only， your central focus.
You'll join others' game for a few minutes But return often， next to my seat
Then throwing a loving glance to reassure me always that I am the only one you cherish.

You never discriminate nor miss a chance to protect the wronged and the meek，
As their defense you even risk Heaven， getting beaten and torn to stitches.
But whenever any harasses you， you always keep your cool，
and you let others have the best quarters， bed，sofa，or even your favorite corners， quietly sleep on a bare floor at any room's end.
Let them be next to me to their heart's content.

Shy to strangers，hiding when they approach， but accept all my disciples， their hugs and caressing，
whether they are from New York or Beijing， 『Egal』 if they are Christian， Buddhist or Muslim.
While your gentle blue eyes beaming out unconditional love，
your serene countenance mellow and soft， you gave all what they needed from you.
You love me ２４／７， happiness or sorrow.
In your simple manner you show it and I always know it.

Though your strength could create a revolutionary crisis， but you always humbly listen and obey command.
Even if that means parting from me and your heart is turbulent， you just sadly bow your head and go wherever requested.
(Swear I could feel the tears in your heart！) Oh sweet boy， I love you forever.
How can I find another one like you ever？

When I walk into your room any time， you acted as if God has descended into your life.
You love coldness， but would bear the heat so that you can lie at my feet.
You know I like you to sleep on soft ground，
So you always go to your soft bed To show that you do.
Only if I am in the near， of course.
Then you would sneak back onto the terra keramic， because you are a shepherd and love cold floor.

Even when crippled with genetic disorder， you try so hard to crawl，
to clutch the corners of your soft bed to show me that you respect my wish and didn't forget.
And my wish is always your command， no matter how small or how grand.
You would wait patiently for a pat or a glance， never wanting to leave， even in a little cave or a tiny apartment.
Wherever I am， that's your happy dwelling palace.
On rough wet ground or gravel terrace， on comfy bed or squeaky sofa， all you care is just to be with me.

And what did I do to deserve this love eternity？
I dragged you all over the globe！ Well，partly because I have to move on the job
and God knows why my work met with peculiar situations.
Hence，we don't always have peace and freedom.
Constant changes and forever anxious traveling that must have stressed you out，I bet.
Your immune system would go haywire，I guess.

And lately often if I'm home， then，『No，no，no， not now，I'm busy.』
Or，『Go，go，I'm tired.』 As I usually close myself in for the work at hand，
or if you stay around， I'm just buried in documents， endless global demands and tele-speech.
Or I would watch the news to see where in need， while you just lie there as if non-existent.

I haven't much time to dine with you as in those earlier years then.
And you are hushed into another room during the long hours that I meditate，
with nothing to do but to wait and hope that I would come out and give you a rub.
Then you would roll over merrily.
Even just for those few seconds， as if my hands were that of Heaven.

You are the epitome of endless patience， of vast devotion and boundless love.
You are so tender， but so strong and so tough. I thought you'd live forever.
But you can't. Back to Heaven you went Leaving me here with a void in my heart…

I cannot believe you have left. Just like that，you're gone.
I'd do anything to have you back again. I'd make up for you the time we lost.
Oh dearly beloved！ But I can't！

As you were back from the hospital， a still warm but lifeless body's remain， why did I even fancy your faint heartbeat？
Rushing you to emergency clinic， just to confirm that my heart's broken again！！！
Though I'm happy that you are free from pain， enjoying your deserved glory and peace…

But please don't ever come back.
This world is not yet too kind.
Maybe we will have it all one day.
As for now，stay in Heaven， where you are safe.

Even if I am so desperate， even if you are so missing me， I just want you to be happy.
You deserve all the more than just this old， busy buddy.
Oh pure and angel friend， I love you forever！

Repeatedly I told you and again and again at your sick bed
And I meant every letter of that. And I'm genuinely happy， to know that you're free.
All the tears now are just for me， `cos I lost the treasure of the world. I lost a rare，precious jewel.

I'd like the whole world to stand still， mourning with me my loss，
but somehow no one seems to care or to be so conscious.
They're just all moving on.
Don't they know a beautiful being is gone？

If I must write down all your loving goodness， it would take forever.
Now that you are here no longer， what's the volume of words good for？
I should have treated you every day as if it's your last on Earth.
Should have given you more favorites and not stop while saying 『it's for your own good.』

You asked me once why I love my work so much， seems as if more than I love you.
I said to you， 『No，no，no，it's not so.
Pray with me that the world soon will have peace.

Then all， and humans and animals will be protected.
Then we will spend more time together.』
Well， that day is not yet near and you have already departed forever My unfulfilled promise
I'm ever so sorry，my love I'm ever so sorry

You are gone， The house seems to enlarge.
I miss your royal， welcome ritual I miss your affectionate tug I miss your silly smile I miss your pawing hug
As I am sitting here next to your empty rug
Thanking Heaven for your love once by my side Asking Heaven why dogs have to die.

Supreme Master Ching Hai: I dedicate this in memory of Hermit， my special dog who just passed away a few days ago， and for all the dog's lovers in the world. I know how they feel. I really miss my dog. I know he's good in Heaven but I still miss him.

Who loves me？ Hermit loves Momma. Hermit loves me. Who has my love？ Who… Ooh thank you，darling. Good boy you are. It's Hermit. It's Hermit，my love.

Supreme Master Ching Hai: That's my dog Hermit. He's very special. So intelligent. So obedient. So cooperative. So good，so good. And he is vegan. All my dogs are vegan. That's the day all the dog's friends fear most，is the day they're going，and they're going so soon. Oh，they have so beautiful videos. Oh，God.

SM (from VIDEO): You're good. You're good. Yes. You do what you like here. Just be good boy.

I am still grieving my dog. I am so sorry. Sorry， I cried so much already， and I can't believe I still cry tonight. I wish you all the best and enjoy your pets' time. God bless you. God bless all animal lovers. Thank you so much.

Commissioner Avila (m): That was a very touching and compassionate poem that you have，『Hermit.』 It shows how much you love your dog. It was very touching and compassionate about God's creature，Hermit.

Supreme Master Ching Hai: Well，thank you，sir. Thank you for your sympathy. I am sure every dog lover feels the same. It's very painful to lose a family member like that， and he's so special. And I'm sure every dog lover would tell me that their dogs are very special and the most intelligent， the most loving， the most affectionate， and I know that very well. I feel the same. I know he's in Heaven and he's better there than here，but I still miss him so much. And one more thing， when I was rushing him to the clinic and I just talked to him - he was already gone- but then he came back to answer me. Can you believe this？ He was gone， but then I asked him， 『But it's better that you stay in Heaven，right？ You don't come back here. You don't，you don't， you don't just come back here anymore，』 and he came back to answer me. He said，『No.』 He would prefer to stay here with me than in Heaven. That's what he said.

The last thing he said to me. He'd already gone and just came back to answer me like that. And… I just cannot forget my dog. No matter how many dogs I have and no matter how many times they die， it's just like the first dog and the first time. Thank you for all your sympathy. I know you feel the same about your dogs， especially if the dog has gone to Heaven. Thank you so much. God bless you all. God bless our planet. God bless all the animals.

Commissioner Avila (m): Thank you. That was a very touching poem， 『Hermit.』 My nephew was deployed in.... He's a Marine and he brought back his dog from Serbia，(Supreme Master Ching Hai: Yes.) and that shows how much he loved that dog in Serbia. (Supreme Master Ching Hai: Oh，yes.) It was being abused， and the Marines let him bring the dog back to the United States， (Supreme Master Ching Hai: Oh，yes.) because he loves dogs.

Supreme Master Ching Hai: Oh，I heard that. I heard these services. Yes. And one of it is yours？Your family member's？
Commissioner Avila (m): Yes，my nephew. And the dog did not understand English.

Supreme Master Ching Hai: Yes.
Commissioner Avila (m): He only understands Serbian. So we had to teach him how to learn English.

Supreme Master Ching Hai: Oh，he will understand English，sir. I adopted all kinds of dogs - some are Hungarian - but they understood absolutely everything， Commissioner Avila (m): Yes.

Supreme Master Ching Hai: English and all. (Yes.)  Yes， and very，very obedient， very well-behaved.
Commissioner Avila (m): Oh，yes，yes.

Supreme Master Ching Hai: Yes. Understand English. I'm surprised. Oh，really. Foreign dogs，you know， not 『English』 dogs， but understood everything as if from inside，yes.
Commissioner Avila (m): When he used to hear a car or a backfire， he used to get scared because he came from the war. So we all have some type of effect in war.

Supreme Master Ching Hai: Yes，sir，even dogs， yes，yes. One of my adopted dogs， he's very afraid of guns， gun shout，and thunder. It's similar to him. He will cower into a corner， he will not eat， he will not drink， he will not go out that day. Whenever he hears a gun- sometimes people go hunting nearby- he hears it and then he just cowers under the bed or some corner，and shaking， or when thunder- it's similar to gun- he would not eat， he will not drink. He will not even go out. He will not even follow me. Well， he goes to my room， of course，and， he feels safer there; but if I tell him to go out， he will not. He's so scared. Not just humans are afraid of，gun sounds， but animals also.

Commissioner Avila (m): Yes. Thank you very much for sharing us your poem， 『Hermit.』
Supreme Master Ching Hai: Thank you，sir.

Commissioner Avila (m): Once again，let's thank Supreme Master Ching Hai for doing what she does so well.
Supreme Master Ching Hai: Sir，and all the loving people there， please excuse me， I have more meditation hours to catch up.

Commissioner Avila (m): Yes. Okay，thank you.
Supreme Master Ching Hai: I haven't done my quota enough today.
Commissioner Avila (m): Okay， thank you very much.

Supreme Master Ching Hai: It's for World Peace， for World Peace. Thank you.(Avila (m): Yes.) Please forgive me. I take leave. (Commissioner Avila (m): Okay，thank you.) Thank you very much.

Commissioner Avila (m): Supreme Master Ching Hai， she shared her wisdom and unconditional love from the heart. Let's give her a really heartfelt round of applause again. She explains to us in straightforward words what has been done，and what needs to be done to save our planet， to ensure peace. Everything Supreme Master Ching Hai says comes down to what she is all about - that is love: love for yourself; love for every aspect of our environment; love for all beings; love for each other. The way I see it， you don't have to pray for peace when love flows from your heart.

With love，it would be no problem to switch to the vegan diet， which is necessary to cool the planet， to protect our natural resources，to ensure our personal health， and to have enough to feed the hungry. If we would simply express and demonstrate love， if we will stop breeding animals for human consumption， how many lives would not end up in slaughter， how many people will be fed，how healthy and long-living will people be， how clean would our water，rivers， and oceans be， how fresh would the air be，for there would be enough trees doing their job.

World Vegan， World Peace - it's got to be our Conscious Choice. If people stop eating the flesh of another being today，that is a good way to start a responsible， compassionate， and healthy lifestyle. Therefore，the future of the planet is in our hands. We are the protectors. We are the stewards. We are the example of our children. They can pick up where we left off，effectively， with a determination to keep the planet clean， fresh，flourishing in peace and in love; and hearing Supreme Master's words I feel a warm connection and a common bond between your love of nature and human love. Didn't you like that？

Commissioner Avila (m): At this moment， I would like to thank the performers for their wonderful performance - we have more to come in the second part of our program tonight. Once again，let's thank the person with the biggest heart tonight: Supreme Master Ching Hai. (Yes.)

Thank you for your time， thank you for sharing your wisdom， thank you for sharing your love， and I hope that my wife Sherry， Commissioner Horton， and I may meet you one day in person， Supreme Master Ching Hai. Thank you.