Today’s Vegetarian Elite
will be presented
in Chinese,
with subtitles in Arabic,
Aulacese (Vietnamese),
Chinese, English,
French, German,
Indonesian,
Italian, Japanese,
Korean, Mongolian,
Nepali, Persian,
Portuguese, Russian,
Spanish, Tagalog,
and Thai.
I’m Lin Tsong-ming,
the Political Deputy
Minister of Education
of Formosa (Taiwan).
I’m here to call on everyone
to work together.
Global warming is getting
more and more serious,
and things that happen
in one country
can affect the existence
of other countries.
So I hope that
we all work together –
being veg,
going green
to save the planet.
I hope everyone will join in.
Greetings
beneficient viewers,
and welcome to
Vegetarian Elite.
Today, we introduce
the noble vegan statesman,
Mr. Lin Tsong-ming, the
Political Deputy Minister
of Education in Formosa.
Mr. Lin Tsong-ming
has rich experience
in the industrial, political,
and academic fields.
He served as
the President of National
Yunlin University of
Science and Technology
from 2001 – 2009.
During his eight years
of term, he promoted
a number of reforms
that led the University
to become
a model technological
and vocational
learning institution.
He has also put
great efforts towards
information technology
in rural education,
seeking to minimize
the digital divide between
cities and rural areas.
Towards the end of 2009,
he became the
Political Deputy Minister
of Education.
He continually strives for
the best education system
for all students.
Persevering through
bouts of poverty and illness
when he was younger,
Mr. Lin knows very well
the importance of health.
He practices meditation
and Qi Gong to nurture
his body, mind, and spirit.
Positive thinking
and acting with kindness
are two tenets
he always emphasizes.
Living as a model
for what he teaches,
Mr. Lin shared with
Supreme Master
Television
how he became a vegetarian.
When I had just started
my position as the president
of Yunlin University of
Science and Technology,
I caught a cold.
A doctor took
a blood sample
and found that
my blood was very thick
and murky looking.
When he saw the sample,
the doctor felt very bad
and asked, “Is this you?”
I sensed that he meant
I had problems
and that if I didn’t
make some changes,
I would have
serious problems.
That was one thing.
The second thing was
that I had started
to do meditation.
Every morning and evening
I would do
some meditation.
After a period of time,
naturally I started
to feel bad about
the animals being killed.
Now I don’t even dare
to step on an ant.
In the past, before I learned
the Buddhist teachings,
I didn’t realize how serious
the law of karma is.
When I started to learn
the Buddhist teachings,
I found out
that many things happen
because of
the law of karma.
Deep in my heart,
I couldn’t stand to see
the suffering of
sentient beings any more.
Sometimes I would think,
“Suppose I were the animal
and I was going
to be killed and eaten.
How would I feel?”
How would you feel
if you were the animal?
So, gradually I couldn’t
stand to eat the flesh
of animals any more.
Deputy Minister Lin
has been a vegetarian
for eight years.
Despite his heavy
and busy workload,
the diet has enabled him
to become healthier
and healthier.
When he was
President of National
Yunlin University of
Science and Technology,
Mr. Lin inspired many
teachers and students
to forsake meat for
the more compassionate
vegetarian diet.
When I first started
working as the president
of Yunlin University,
only a few people would
eat vegetarian food with me.
By the time
I left the university,
almost 10% of the people
had become vegetarian.
That’s how the director
can affect the students,
the teachers, and the staff.
I feel that I can motivate
others to follow suit.
Because I was a vegetarian,
when we would
have a dinner together
and they would see
what I was eating,
they would eat vegetarian
with me.
After he became the
Political Deputy Minister
of Education,
Mr. Lin soon realized
the severe environmental
damages caused by
the meat industry.
He began to give
speeches everywhere
and actively promote
educational policies
regarding vegetarianism and
environmental protection.
In March 2010,
the Ministry of Education
issued a document
to 3,398 elementary
and middle schools
throughout Formosa,
encouraging all schools
to choose one day a week
as “Meatless Day.”
On that day, schools
should serve only vegan,
eco-friendly lunches for
all teachers and students.
By doing this,
Mr. Lin hopes
that students in Formosa,
more than 2.5 millions
of them, can benefit
from the healthy diet and
adopt a green lifestyle
at a young age.
It’s mainly because
the global warming situation
is very serious now.
Also, natural disasters
have become so frequent.
Look at this year.
Over a dozen
major earthquakes
have occurred
around the world.
We’ve never seen
such phenomena before.
From reading some reports
I found out
that animal agriculture
is the main culprit
behind global warming.
So, under
such circumstances,
isn’t it wonderful to
promote vegetarianism?
So because of this,
when the Ministry
of Education
held a news conference
at the end of last year, and
the reporters asked me
what my New Year’s
wishes were, I said that
I hoped to help promote
vegetarianism.
Because of this wish
I have been
actively participating
in the campaigns.
For instance, recently
we sent a document
to all the county
and city governments
asking them
to help promote
one meatless day a week.
So far, we have had
very positive responses
and the local governments
have been actively
cooperating with us.
So I hope that from there
we can expand the campaign
to more cities
and then to the regions.
It is my wish
to do everything
in my power
to help promote
this campaign.
Also, whenever
we have the chance –
such as at meetings
with college presidents –
we’ll provide suitable
advice and guidance
so they can understand
the issue.
I think if we try to
communicate with them
and help them understand,
they will be able to
accept the idea more easily.
When we return,
we will learn more about
the vegan statesman,
Mr. Lin Tsong-ming, the
Political Deputy Minister
of Education in Formosa.
Welcome back to
Vegetarian Elite featuring
Formosan (Taiwanese)
Political Deputy Minister
of Education,
Mr. Lin Tsong-ming.
Apart from being a vegan
himself, Mr. Lin also
hopes to promote
plant-based fare in schools
with the support
of government agencies.
According to
your observations
or any figures
you may have at hand,
do you know the results
of the veggie campaign
in the schools and
the government agencies?
We do have a figure.
A few days ago
a staff member gave it to us.
It seems that
in most counties and cities
the local promotion
is going very well.
Almost 80% of
the schools and agencies
are promoting it now.
As for those that are
not yet participating,
we are continuing to
communicate with them.
It means that of all
the counties and cities,
almost 80% of them
are doing something.
For example, in elementary
and middle schools,
veggie meals are offered
for lunch every Monday
or Tuesday.
Also, I have discussed
the seriousness
of global warming
with college presidents
during my meetings
with them.
I have encouraged them
to help promote
one veggie day per week
at their colleges
and universities.
So far, many colleges
have participated in
promoting this campaign.
Colleges, after all,
are more autonomous.
But I found
that once a few colleges
started participating,
then others started to join
and the movement expanded.
So I feel
the results are pretty good.
Mr. Lin’s leadership
is widely admired
by teachers and students,
and his promotion
of plant-based meals
in schools has received
a wide-reaching
and warm response.
In 2009, as suggested by
the teachers and students
of National
Yunlin University of
Science and Technology,
he wrote a book entitled
“Painting the Rainbow
in Life with Joy.”
Through these stories,
Mr. Lin wishes to convey
the importance of keeping
positive and being kind.
While writing the book
“Painting the Rainbow
in Life with Joy,”
I was very careful
not to include
any negative words.
My hope is that
our students, teachers,
and other people
will all develop
benevolent thoughts.
That’s why I tried to
avoid all negative words
in the book.
During the writing process
we carefully checked
every word to make sure
that it encourages
positive thoughts
and actions.
I want these to be
the golden keys for people
to open the door
of success.
Once I accidently
disclosed the subject
of my teacher’s research
during a casual
conversation with friends.
My teacher, the director,
got very mad.
Because of
what I had done
he scolded me
for two hours.
At that time
I was very humble and
I accepted his scolding.
I felt that
I had made a mistake so
I deserved his punishment.
After two hours of scolding,
the director realized
that I had not put up
any resistance
so he felt embarrassed.
When he finished,
we went out for a walk
and we talked.
During the walk,
my director shared
with me the story
of his life’s journey.
By the end, we had formed
a very amicable
teacher-student relationship.
So, you see, it began as
a very awkward situation,
but because
I was being very humble,
I resolved the situation
and changed
the negative effect
into a positive one.
So, the reason
why I’m sharing this
with you all
is to let you know that,
no matter
what you encounter,
you must think positively.
Also,
whenever you do anything,
think positively,
review your actions,
and consider ways
you can improve.
Finally, keep a heart
of gratitude.
In the book
you also tell the students
that we have to be kind
and do good deeds.
That’s right.
According to
my own experience,
no matter what we do,
we have to
have kind thoughts.
I’ve used as examples
some of the experiences
that Dr. Masaru Emoto
talked about.
He discovered
that the better looking
the molecule structure was,
the more beneficial
the water
was to human health.
But when the molecule
structure was broken,
it meant it was bad water.
He discovered that
after dividing some water
into two glasses,
if he said
praises and positive words
to one glass,
the water molecules
in that glass would turn
into diamond-like shapes.
When he said
curse words to
the other glass of water,
the structure
of the water molecules
became very scattered.
So he found out that
even water responds to
praises and positive words,
thereby changing
its molecular structure –
not to mention the fact
that we are humans, right?
When we say a word,
it can affect and change
all the surrounding
and even the universe
in an invisible way.
This could affect
the cell structure
of our body.
Actually, in Germany,
many doctors
believe in this.
A group of doctors studied
some cancer patients,
and they concluded
that almost 90%
of the cancer case
were caused by emotions.
Our emotions and our body
or our actions have
causal relationships.
So I tell the students that
they must do good deeds
and think good thoughts.
In my book I talk about
how the universe
is like a reflection wall
for our actions.
When we project
kind thoughts,
the reflection wall
reflects kindness back to us
and thus positively
affects us or our family.
Then we’ll help build
harmony in the society.
This will also help us
to become healthier.
Our salute,
Mr. Lin Tsong-ming, for
your gracious leadership
and presence
as a caring role model.
We join you in praying
that more and more people
adopt a loving way
of living with respect
for all beings, and thereby,
together we can create
a vegan Heaven on Earth.
For more information
on Mr, Lin Tsong-ming,
Political Deputy Minister
of Education
in Formosa (Taiwan),
please visit:
www.moe.gov.tw
Happy viewers,
thank you for
accompanying us today
on Vegetarian Elite,
featuring
Mr. Lin Tsong-ming,
the Political Deputy
Minister of Education
of Formosa (Taiwan).
Please stay tuned
to Supreme Master
Television.
Up next is Between
Master and Disciples.
May Heavenly lights
illuminate your paths in life.
Lin (m): I’m Lin Tsong-ming, the Political Deputy Minister of Education of Formosa (Taiwan). I’m here to call on everyone to work together. Global warming is getting more and more serious,and things that happen in one country can affect the existence of other countries.So I hope that we all work together – being veg, going green to save the planet. I hope everyone will join in.
Greetings beneficient viewers, and welcome to Vegetarian Elite. Today, we introduce the noble vegan statesman, Mr. Lin Tsong-ming, the Political Deputy Minister of Education in Formosa.
Mr. Lin Tsong-ming has rich experience in the industrial, political, and academic fields. He served as the President of National Yunlin University of Science and Technology from 2001 – 2009.
During his eight years of term, he promoted a number of reforms that led the University to become a model technological and vocational learning institution. He has also put great efforts towards information technology in rural education, seeking to minimize the digital divide between cities and rural areas.
Towards the end of 2009, he became the Political Deputy Minister of Education. He continually strives for the best education system for all students. Persevering through bouts of poverty and illness when he was younger, Mr. Lin knows very well the importance of health.
He practices meditation and Qi Gong to nurture his body, mind, and spirit. Positive thinking and acting with kindness are two tenets he always emphasizes. Living as a model for what he teaches, Mr. Lin shared with Supreme Master Television how he became a vegetarian.