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 conclude our visit to The Horse Refuge in Kent, UK which was founded by vegetarian Sara Tuppen. Created in 1995 as a shelter for sick and unwanted animals, today The Horse Refuge hosts a delightful menagerie of 150 beautiful beings. For those residents too traumatized, ill or old to be adopted, the sanctuary is a forever home where they can enjoy deeply precious relationships with friends and live out their life in love.

Where we can, we find homes for horses, but most of the ones here are permanent residents. When they’ve been in here a long time, they form long friendships with other horses.

The sweet Rupert and Octavia are an inseparable pair who have been devoted to each other for many years.

His best friend is Octavia who’s quite, quite an elderly Shire horse now. She’s got to be from memory, well into her 30s and Rupert will be into his 40s by now. And the other week, Octavia slipped in the woods and lost her footing one night and got herself completely stuck and wedged by a tree against her chest with her front legs either side of the tree. She’d been trying in vain to get up for a while and she’d got herself into quite a lather.

Her breathing was very rapid and she was weakening. And what happened was, I came out and I was looking for one of my cats and I heard this terrible, terrible noise and I thought, “What on earth’s that?” Well, we went running down into the woods.

It was in fact Rupert here who was standing as close as he could to Octavia and screaming at the top of his voice for help. And if he hadn’t yelled and I hadn’t heard it, I’m sure, certain, we would have lost Octavia. As it was a terrible battle to get her free of the tree and to get her up on her feet again.

And then there’s Basil and Amadeus, two mischievous fellows who have created a hole in the wall dividing their bedrooms so that they can talk in private.

Basil and Amadeus have always been very happy and very energetic. These animals they’ve humanity. They feel sad, they feel happy. There’s no difference between us and them. You can talk to them and it seems as if they understand.

Amadeus, can’t be re-homed because he’s very, very old. He’s in his 40s now. And he’s had quite a hard life. He was a dressage horse, but he was skeletal when I found him and he’d got a very infected back and infected legs and he finds it hard to trust people. So he’s here for life, with his best friend Basil who’s come out on cue.

Basil was also very, very thin when he came in, and he was totally bald. He’s the first horse I actually, or in fact the only horse I’ve come across that was totally bald, and this eye doesn’t work very well. But he’s very settled with his mate.

Next let’s visit Percy and Bertha, the two friendly giants who share a barn together.

This is another example of a horse that is very nervous and anything unusual frightens him. We don't quite know what’s happened to him. He’s actually terrified of his own shadow. He is beginning to come back to us now, aren't you, Percy? And he’s got his girlfriend next door, who’s Bertha, who is absolutely huge. I mean they’re both giant horses, but she’s measuring in at 21 hands at the moment. I would say she’s certainly the tallest mare in the world, but she’s probably one of the tallest horses because she’s absolutely huge. Yes, I love you, Percy, I do love you.

We asked some of the volunteers at The Horse Refuge why they choose to work here.

I enjoy working with the horses, because it’s a case of all these horses have had bad upbringings, or something is wrong with them, and if it wasn’t for us, me and Sara, or someone else, they’d probably would be put down. I always come home tired but happy. Sometimes I’m actually freezing cold from the wet weather or the snow, sometimes I’m actually sweating badly because of the hot Sun, but it’s always a case of I enjoy myself. I work hard but I don’t regret it at all.

Since I started here I’ve learned a little more compassion. I don’t have enough money to actually give anything to the horse sanctuary. I’ve given my time and my effort, and it’s a real life-changing experience. I’ve gotten up and helped a horse and plus we kept a couple of horses alive. I can say that I kept this horse alive.

Some of the horses here have been very ill-treated in the past and it's a wonder they trust anybody. So for me to be able to gain their trust is amazing. They don’t always trust you immediately. You have to build that trust. And once you’ve got it, they give you everything back. And just to make a difference to their life to me is all worthwhile.

Everything I do, whether it be raining hard, or whether bright sunshine, everything makes a difference. I can go home, from here and feel satisfied that everybody is happy, everybody meaning the horses. The horses are all happy. They’re just a joy to be around.

For unwavering dedication and unconditional self-sacrifice to ensure the safety and welfare of vulnerable animals, Supreme Master Ching Hai honored Sara Tuppen and The Horse Refuge with the Shining World Compassion Award.

On Supreme Master Ching Hai’s behalf our local Association members presented Ms. Tuppen with the elegant crystal Award plaque, books by Supreme Master Ching Hai including “The Love of Centuries,” and a six- set DVD of “The King & Co.,” an epic saga written and directed by her. Supreme Master Ching Hai also sent a letter of appreciation, the following of which is an excerpt.

We are deeply honored and gratified to have this opportunity to present the “Shining World Compassion Award” to you and The Horse Refuge in recognition of the outstanding loyalty and compassion you show for our animal co-inhabitants and for your selfless spirit of service to their welfare.

You devoted everything you had to creating the Horse Refuge where you personally, and at immense cost to yourself, care for over a hundred animals. This is why we feel so honored to be able to offer this Award to you as an inspiring example of humanity at its best.

For your heroic selflessness and iron-willed determination to protect the innocent against all odds, we hereby applaud and celebrate the great and noble deeds of The Horse Refuge and its benevolent founder, Ms. Sara Tuppen, heroine of horses. With Great Honour, Love, and Blessings, Supreme Master Ching Hai

Supreme Master Ching Hai also contributed US$10,000 to help further The Horse Refuge’s noble cause.

It costs a fortune to save and to keep and to pay vet's bills and food bills, and so, it's absolutely a life saver. I would like to say to the Supreme Master that I feel so honored. It's just wonderful and to thank you so much for all of us and to help us carry on the work that we do. So, thank you so much. I mean “thank you” is not a good enough word, but it's just wonderful, wonderful.

Soon afterwards, Sara Tuppen sent Supreme Master Ching Hai a letter expressing her deep-felt appreciation, the following of which is an excerpt:

Dear Supreme Master Ching Hai, I would like to thank you so much for bestowing such a great honor upon me. It is the most exquisite award with beautiful words that I will keep close by to brighten my darkest hours. I have read of the incredible work you do with global warming, humanitarian causes and of course helping the animals that share our planet. I wish you could visit and meet the animals here and see the work we do. Thank you once again for this fabulous award and for the essential work you do so tirelessly Yours sincerely, Sara Tuppen The Horse Refuge

In response to Sara Tuppen’s kind words, Supreme Master Ching Hai has the following message for her: “Though not being there, we are together in the same direction. And the angels will always inform me of your loving work. With all my love to you and co.” ♥♥ CH

A few weeks after receiving the Award, Ms. Tuppen contacted one of our Association members regarding the dire situation The Horse Refuge currently faces.

We were evicted at the end of last year just before Christmas, and history is about to repeat itself because where we are has to be put up for sale and we will find ourselves, again, homeless. And last time, we sadly lost three of our horses, and this time, I would imagine some more. Because many of them are old, and many of them are infirm. They’re not able to be moved, but even if we had to move, we do need to find a base because we can’t keep moving and moving and moving.

And these horses are all beautiful as you can see and they all deserve to live their life out with their friends in their groups. They love each other so dearly… And so we have to keep going, and I’m just asking anybody that’s listening please pass the word on, just ask anybody and everybody to spare a thought for us, to spare a prayer.

If anybody has a site that we can use or if anybody wants to buy this place because it is very beautiful that would at least give us a breathing space till we can get back on our feet again. Because we do need to continue and these horses’ lives are so precious.

If the Horse Refuge closes, the animal residents may be killed per court order, something that nearly happened the last time the sanctuary had to move from its former site. Sara Tuppen and volunteers of the Horse Refuge, we are so grateful and moved by your pure-hearted devotion to the caring of animals in need. Paragons of virtue protecting the meek, you inspire and light up the world around you with your shining love for our animal friends.

For more details on The Horse Refuge, please visit www.TheHorseRefuge.org

Kind viewers, thank you for joining us today on our program. Coming up next is Enlightening Entertainment, after Noteworthy News. May all of Heaven’s creation be treasured with grace and gentleness.