One of India’s great track and field athletes, Milkha Singh Ji was dubbed “the Flying Sikh” in recognition of his superior ability and achievements as a runner. Mr. Milkha Singh was born into a Sikh family on November 20, 1929, in Govindpuri, Muzaffargarh city, then part of the Punjab Province of British India. The difficulties Milkha Singh encountered in his early life were met with determination and strength of will. Under the tutelage of his coach, Havildar Gurdev Singh, Milkha Singh trained for five hours daily and was determined to do well. He loved running. His routines included running up hills, on the sands of riverbanks, and against a meter gauge train.Just two years later, in 1958, he won gold for the event at the Indian National Circuit, held in Cuttack. In that same year, Milkha represented India in the Asian Games, again winning two gold medals for the 200-meter and 400-meter events. He did not stop there, and he went on to Cardiff, Wales, for the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, where he won the gold medal for the 400-meter (440 yards at the time) race, being the first Indian to do so. Reflecting on that fateful day, Milkha said: “I said my prayers, I touched my forehead to the ground and said to God, ‘I am going to try my best, but India’s honor is in your hands.’”Aside from his excellence on the running tracks, Milkha Singh also had a loving heart and a great desire to do good for the community. He donated all his medals to the country. In 2003, Milkha also launched Milkha’s Charitable Trust, hoping to change the lives of young people by giving them access to education, as well as to assist athletes in need. On June 18, 2021, Milkha Singh sadly passed away from post-COVID-19 complications. His Excellency Prime Minister Narendra Modi said: “In the passing away of Shri Milkha Singh Ji, we have lost a colossal sportsperson, who captured the nation’s imagination and had a special place in the hearts of countless Indians. His inspiring personality endeared himself to millions.”

The 101-year-old author and peace campaigner Eddie Jaku passed from this Earth in October 2021. He and his life are remembered through his memoirs in his much-acclaimed book, “The Happiest Man on Earth: The Beautiful Life of an Auschwitz Survivor,” published in 2020.Eddie was born Abraham Jakubowicz in Leipzig, Germany, on April 14, 1920. “I found out when I was about 14, 15 that everything my father is doing is for me. See, because he is tough with me. It’s a tough environment to live as a Jew in Germany. I am far away. I live under a false name.” After several unsuccessful attempts at traveling to Britain, Eddie and his family remained in hiding in the Belgian countryside. They managed to elude the occupying authorities until 1943, when they were finally detained and deported to Auschwitz. With her love, over time, he learned to let go of the almost overwhelming negativity resulting from the traumatic experiences he had endured for so many years. He said: “I do not hate anyone. Hate is a disease which may destroy your enemy, but will also destroy you.”Eddie Jaku was a founding member of the Sydney Jewish Museum, and for almost three decades from the age of 72, he spent many hours a week there volunteering as a tour guide at the Holocaust Exhibition. The message that Eddie Jaku wished to convey moved visitors beyond the tragedy to a place of hope and peace. In his own words: “Your efforts today will affect people you will never know. It is your choice whether that effect is positive or negative. You can choose every day, every minute, to act in a way that may uplift a stranger, or else drag them down. The choice is easy. And it is yours to make.”In 2013, Eddie Jaku was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for his work as a promoter of peace. In 2021, his autobiography was recognized by the Australian Publishers Association with the Australian Book Industry Award. After his passing, Eddie was honored with a state memorial service in New South Wales.“I want to make this world a better place for everyone. I want everyone to take a step back and say, ‘We are here for all of us.’”

In the mid-1540s, Michel de Nostredame returned to France to continue treating plague victims. He researched and prepared plant-based remedies, such as “a sovereign scent powder to drive out pestilential odors” which could only be made once a year during the rose season.During 1548 to 1549, Michel de Nostredame journeyed through Italy. Nostradamus began experimenting with treatments based on vegetable jams. By this time, he had published two books on medical science. One was a translation of “Galen, the Roman Physician,” and the second was “Traité des fardemens et confitures,” meaning “The Treatise on Makeups and Jams,” containing recipes for foods, treatments, and cosmetics.Increasingly, Michel de Nostredame moved away from medical science and focused more on the occult. He would spend hours meditating at night in front of a bowl of water with special herbs. In deep meditation, he was transported into a trance where he had a multitude of visions. Those visions are believed to have been the basis of his predictions.Yearly almanacs were a popular publication at the time. Michel de Nostredame saw this as a perfect vehicle for his predictions and published his first almanac in 1550. Nostradamus continued to publish almanacs, but the book that made him the world-famous prophet we know today was his book “Les Prophéties,” or “The Prophecies.” Nostradamus himself stated that his prophecies extend “from now to the year 3797.”In 1994, Supreme Master Ching Hai spoke of Nostradamus’s predictions. During a conference in 2018, our Most Beloved Supreme Master Ching Hai mentioned how Nostradamus and many of the beloved beings have suffered on this planet.His bones were first buried in the church of the convent of the Friars Minor, known as the Convent of the Cordeliers, as he had wished, where the epitaph was engraved: “Greatest God. Here rest the bones of the illustrious Michel de Nostredame, alone of all mortals judged worthy to record with his almost divine pen, under the influence of the stars, the future events of the whole world.”

Michel de Nostredame, better known as Nostradamus, was a widely read prophet during the Renaissance period. To date, he is said to have accurately predicted such events as the rise of Napoléon Bonaparte, the atomic bombs in Japan, the death of US President John F. Kennedy, the events of 9/11, and even the COVID-19 pandemic. Nostradamus was said to have an almost divine memory and a cheerful, pleasant character. His classmates called him “the young astrologer” because “he would point out and explain to them the celestial phenomena.” Records show that on October 23, 1529, Michel de Nostredame was admitted to the faculty of medicine in Montpellier to earn his doctorate in medicine. He nicknamed himself “Nostradamus,” which means “We give what is ours, we pass on our knowledge.” Nostradamus was passionate about the study of medicinal plants. Throughout his travels, he concentrated on courageously helping victims of the plague. Michel de Nostredame was very innovative. He also created herbal treatments, one of which became known as the “rose pill.” His cure rate was so good that he became quite famous for his novel therapeutic approach. Somewhere along the way, it is said that Michel de Nostredame attended ancient mystical schools and experienced some type of psychic awakening. The first account of his psychic abilities occurred in the late 1530s, while in Italy, when he met a group of Franciscan monks and addressed one of them as “His Holiness,” thus identifying him as a future pope. During a lecture in 1994, Supreme Master Ching Hai spoke about how Nostradamus attained his prophetic insights. “He led a life of a very, very busy physician. But even then, all day he took care of the patients; in the nighttime, he meditated. People said he would sit all night and stare in a bowl of water or the black mirror – called “black mirror.” Probably he put a black mirror on it, probably he looked at his black mirror here, the way we do. That was how he saw things far away from his period of time even, and many things he saw have been proven accurate. Is that not so? Also, he predicted the present savior of the world. It was very accurate, very accurate.”

During the few weeks since Russian troops invaded Ukraine on February 24, Ukraine’s President, His Excellency Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has risen to the occasion as a fearless leader, giving his all to defend, guide, and support his country and fellow citizens. Despite urgent pleas from other government leaders for him and his family to evacuate to a safe location, he insisted on staying in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, in his country with his people. In a short period, His Excellency Volodymyr Zelenskyy has unified not just his nation but the entire western world, winning the hearts and minds of the people with his bravery, steadfast efforts, and loving devotion to his country that shines through his simple, sincere words. However, a hero is not made overnight. Before becoming a global household name, who was Volodymyr Zelenskyy? How did he become Ukraine’s president at 41 years of age? How did he become the person he is today? Let’s find out.On January 25, 1978, Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy was born into a Jewish family in the city of Kryvyi Rih in central Ukraine. After obtaining a law degree, Volodymyr decided to pursue his passion for becoming an artist and entertainer. His talent in comedy was apparent when he won the national comedy competition, KVN, or “Club of the Funny and Inventive,” at 19. Mr. Zelenskyy's presidential campaign was unconventional. Instead of going to campaign rallies or interviewing with the mainstream media, he mainly used social media and his own production company Kvartal 95 to speak to the people directly. In an interview with the German weekly news magazine Der Spiegel, he said, "I want to bring professional, decent people to power and would really like to change the mood and timbre of the political establishment as much as possible." Immediately after Russia’s assault, Mr. Zelenskyy declared martial law and cut diplomatic ties with Russia. Since then, His Excellency Volodymyr Zelenskyy has frequently posted virtual messages, delivered timely reports on the truth of the war, and encouraged his fellow country people, which has attracted global attention and mobilized international assistance. “We are all here. Our soldiers are here. Our citizens are here, and we are here. We defend our independence.” During the recent conferences with Supreme Master Television team members on the current state in Ukraine, Supreme Master Ching Hai commented several times on the outstanding leadership of His Excellency Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The following is from a discussion on March 18: “(President Zelenskyy visited wounded soldiers recovering at a military hospital. He also awarded the troops and hospital workers with medals. It shows Zelenskyy has a very good heart and he’s a kind leader.) That’s the way he should do anyway. It’s good. He seems to be a very kind and reasonable guy. And at least he sticks his neck out for his country. He’s not a coward and he’s not running away. He’s the main reason that the soldiers are fighting well and hard. Because he makes a good example. He encourages them. He inspires them.” Supreme Master Ching Hai: “Respectfully present the Shining World Leadership Award for Bravery to His Excellency Volodymyr Zelenskyy, with high salute and deep admiration for the extraordinary leadership and noble spirit you have demonstrated in defending the freedom and sovereignty of Ukraine. May you and the brave people of Ukraine always be shielded through God’s Protection and Blessings. May the Freedom that you and your people treasure and protect above your lives forever prevail by Heaven 's Decree.”

Hafez’s book of poetry, “The Divan of Hafez Shirazi,” is said to be found in almost every Iranian’s home. The poet’s pen name “Hafez” is derived from the Persian root word “to memorize.”When Hafez reached his sixties, he longed for a greater spiritual awakening. Forty years after having met his spiritual Master, it is said that Hafez began another 40-day and 40-night vigil. He drew a circle on the floor and sat there for his vigil. On the last morning of his 40th day, Hafez set out for his Master’s residence. There, with the grace of his Master, Hafez attained Cosmic realization. After this incident and before his passing, Hafez composed over half of the poems we have from him today, including the beautiful ghazal poems. In this phase of his life, Hafez’s poetry reached a higher state of spiritual maturity than it ever had before. Hafez, by common estimates, wrote around 500 ghazals over his lifetime.Hafez passed away in Shiraz in 1390. He did not compile his own works during his lifetime. It was 21 years after his passing that his poetry was assembled into the collection known as “The Divan of Hafez.” His life and poems have become the subject of much analysis, commentary, and interpretation, and had a great influence on post-14th century Persian writing. A modern-day American poet, Daniel Ladinsky had an inner vision in which the spirit of Hafez’s artistic light was imparted to him. His inspired work has brought a greater awareness to the name “Hafez” around the world in recent times.October 12 has been declared the official National Day of Hafez in Iran. His literary contributions are also honored in ceremonies held in 61 other countries. The Beethoven Square of Weimar, Germany, houses the Hafez Goethe memorial, where two granite chairs facing east and west stand as metaphors for the meeting of Eastern and Western cultures. Goethe once said: “In his poetry Hafez has inscribed undeniable truth indelibly… Hafez has no peer!”

An influential figure in the world of Persian poetry, the beloved mystic and Sufi poet Khwāja Shams-ud-Dīn Muḥammad Ḥāfeẓ-e Shīrāzī, more commonly referred to as Hafez, has uplifted the hearts of readers in both the East and the West. From the 14th century to the present day, whether with monarchs or the average civilian, Hafez’s words are like a cool springtime breeze that refreshes and replenishes our spirit.Hafez was born in 1315 AD in the city of Shiraz in Persia, or present-day Iran. Shiraz is known as the city of gardens, a place of culture and trade in the southwest of the country.Ultimately, Hafez’s poetry intimates that Allah is to be considered as the only reality and all expressions of love as instances of Allah’s Love and Divine beauty. This is an underlying theme in Sufism and “spiritual romanticism,” a term often used to describe Hafez’s works. The ecstasy or joy in realizing the Divine is often described in Hafez’s poetry, which speaks to us with great wit and wisdom from the heart. Hafez’s poetry also espoused a spirituality of sincerity, which often presented itself in opposition to puritanical and hypocritical religious behavior.The freedom and play of words in Hafez’s poetry shows that he had a joyful sense of humor and was indeed an initiate of a mystic order, yet he maintained the outer life of a cosmopolitan citizen. Having been married in his twenties, he was a husband and a father, one who was familiar with the knowledge of worldly things such as music, chess, and backgammon.Hafez also often speaks of the need for a spiritual Master on the path of God in his work, and suggests that he had one himself. Later, Hafez was successful in meeting his spiritual Master, Haji Zayn al-Attar, who taught private discipline and intense study with sincere communion at dawn, in the evening, and at midnight, rather than regular prayer sessions spoken by rote.

Following last week’s episode, we will continue to re-trace the remarkable life of Aung San Suu Kyi. In July 1995, Aung San Suu Kyi was released from house arrest but with restrictions on travel. Being undeterred, three years later she formed a representative committee and declared the NLD as Myanmar’s legitimate ruling parliament. In 2000, Aung San Suu Kyi was sent into house arrest after several attempts to leave the capital city to hold political meetings. In 2002, she was once again released from house arrest following successful negotiations with help from the UN Special Envoy to Myanmar, His Excellency Razali Ismail. On May 30, 2003, members of the Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA) political party attacked a convoy of National League for Democracy (NLD) vehicles including the one Aung San Suu Kyi was traveling in. Aung San Suu Kyi emphasizes that for the sake of stability and national reconciliation, she will not seek vengeance for the incident, of which she was the main target. In November 2015, the NLD party won a landslide victory in Myanmar’s first openly contested parliamentary election. In the November 8, 2020, parliamentary elections, the NLD party again won a majority.Facing enormous adversities in life, how does Her Excellency Aung San Suu Kyi overcome despair and maintain her spirit? Suu Kyi revealed in the following statement at the Harvard Kennedy School in September 2012: “So, if you want to keep up your strength when you are working towards something, I think you have to learn not to think of yourself as the center of the world. You are just the one working towards the goal with others. And if you keep that in mind, you don't lose confidence in yourself because it is required of you to keep strong for the sake of others.”When she received the Nobel Prize, she shared her insights on what it was like to be detained or under house arrest for almost 15 years. To some, this is also a window into seeing how a loving, peaceful woman lives under tyrannical oppression and political bullying. Her statements also include strong messages about freedom and hope. “What the Nobel Peace Prize did was to draw me once again into the world of other human beings outside the isolated area in which I lived, to restore a sense of reality to me. And what was more important, the Nobel Prize had drawn the attention of the world to the struggle for democracy and human rights in Burma (Myanmar). We were not going to be forgotten.”

“The Lady” is how most people in Myanmar refer to Aung San Suu Kyi, a democracy icon and leader of the National League for Democracy (NLD). In 2015 the NLD won the general elections to become Myanmar’s first non-military government in 54 years. Aung San Suu Kyi received the Thorolf Rafto Memorial Prize for promoting the fundamental human rights of intellectual and political freedom, the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, the Nobel Peace Prize, and India’s Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding. The US House of Representatives awarded her the Congressional Gold Medal in 2008 and in 2014 she was listed as the 61st most powerful woman in the world by Forbes. To this day, she remains a symbol of human rights and an “indispensable” force for the peace process in Myanmar. Although her father passed away when she was just two years old, Suu Kyi remains emotionally close to him and his ideologies. She has in some sense extended his legacy of love and dedication to their homeland by virtue of her active role in the pro-democracy events in the country, starting with the 8.8.88 Uprising. Aung San expressed her personal views on democracy in this 1988 speech as follows: “Democracy is the only ideology which is consistent with freedom. It is also an ideology that promotes and strengthens peace. It is therefore the only ideology we should aim for. That is what my father said. It is the reason why I am participating in this struggle for freedom and democracy in the footsteps and traditions of my father. To achieve democracy the people should be united.”Many are aware that Suu Kyi is deeply inspired by Mahatma Gandhi and opposes violence of any kind. She has a clear mission and vision that nothing can keep her from fulfilling. In 1991, she won the Nobel Prize for her non-violent struggle for democracy and human rights. Later, after enduring long and repeated struggles and oppression, in June 2012, Suu Kyi was finally able to accept the Nobel Peace Prize in person. The Norwegian Nobel Committee chairman, His Excellency Thorbjørn Jagland, paid tribute to her “awe-inspiring tenacity, sacrifice, and firmness of principle.”

Lilian Emily Bland was one of the first women in the world to design, build, and fly an airplane. She was born at Willington House near Maidstone, Kent, in England, on September 28, 1878, to an affluent family. By the age of 20, she had studied art in Paris and music in Rome.Lilian’s first model plane was a six-foot-wingspan (1.8 meters) biplane glider, which she flew as a kite. Encouraged by her success, Lilian set to work on a full-sized glider. She used steamed ash to bend the glider into shape, emulating the wings of the seagull-people she had studied in Scotland. For the ribs and stanchions, Lilian used spruce. The outriggers were made of bamboo. The glider weighed 200 pounds (91 kilograms) and had a wingspan of 20 feet and 7 inches (6.3 meters). Lilian named her first glider “Mayfly.”Following the success of the first flight, Lilian continued to experiment with more flights and to improve the design of the Mayfly. She intended to start a business selling biplanes and gliders, but her father persuaded her not to and gifted her a Ford Model T car to encourage her to follow other pursuits. The Mayfly eventually ended up in a boy’s club, and its engine is in the Science Museum in London. To celebrate the centenary of Lilian Bland’s maiden flight from Shane’s Castle estate, the Randalstown Historical Society hosted an illustrated lecture on August 31, 2010. A memorial plaque was unveiled in the railway station building of Deer Park. As a lasting legacy to this celebrated aviator, on August 24, 2011, Glengormley Park was renamed Lilian Bland Community Park, and a sculpture of her biplane, Mayfly, was officially unveiled. In 2021, an exhibition at the Ulster Transport Museum in Cultra, Belfast, Northern Ireland, featured Lilian Bland as an innovator with global influence.

Sunderlal Bahuguna led a life of austerity, partly to lead by example. He kept a vegetarian diet in respect to the people of the animal kingdom, wore only simple clothes, and walked 5,000 kilometers (3,100 miles) from village to village across the country when it was time to spread the message of forest conservation. In devotion to God, Sunderlal Bahuguna dedicated every action to protecting the natural environment. He believed that science had to be guided by spirituality rather than by politics, as thoughts directed from the heart cannot cause harm to others. "You know, I see it, that the Almighty is everywhere and especially in nature. You might have heard of the Chipko movement; that was the movement which was to save the trees. And I felt that what right do we have to kill these trees? Because these trees are also the creation of the Almighty, and these are also the living beings like us. The only difference is that these trees cannot speak, these trees cannot move, but they do greater service to society than the human beings. Had there not been trees, we would not have survived because trees are just like Lord Shiva Shankar Bhagwan." In closing, let us hear some wise advice from Sunderlal Bahuguna: "You know that power comes from the Almighty. When you surrender yourself to Him, He will show you the way. And three things I believe. The first, you should have devotion. Devotion to what, to whom? Devotion to the Almighty, devotion to the people. Does Almighty take a form for you? What form does the Almighty cover? I see Him everywhere. I see Him in you, yourself, also. I see Him in trees. I see Him in rivers, mountains, everywhere. He is everywhere, omnipotent. And omnipresent. Omnipresent. So, the first thing is that we should have devotion. The second thing is dedication – dedication for a cause. If you realize that Almighty is everywhere and He is being hurt, then we should dedicate ourselves for a service. And the third thing is determination."

Sunderlal Bahuguna is known primarily as the spokesperson of the Chipko environmental movement. Chipko actively resisted the systematic deforestation of Indian rural woodlands, often confronting powerful corporations in peaceful resistance to prevent the destruction of wilderness areas. Sunderlal Bahuguna gained international attention in the early 1990s by leading an impassioned and unrelenting campaign of opposition to the construction of the hydroelectric Tehri Dam in the Himalayan foothills in Uttarakhand. Sunderlal Bahuguna’s life is a model of selfless dedication to environmental and social causes, which he was involved in from an early age. Initially inspired to promote social equality within India’s then-rigid caste system, he later became a devotee of the Gandhian principle of nonviolence and drive, to achieve self-determination from Britain. He then became a Member of Parliament in the newly independent nation and, together with his wife Vimla Behn, gave a voice to the often-neglected needs of the villagers in India. Their actions eventually saw the establishment of the now-legendary grassroots movement that is wholeheartedly dedicated to actively promoting environmental awareness. The Chipko slogan became, “Ecology is permanent economy,” and Sunderlal Bahuguna, with his political experience, became the movement’s spokesperson. A year later, Sunderlal Bahuguna fasted for two weeks, his first of many, as the group chanted passages from the Bhagavad Gita. Hundreds of people, the majority of them women, attached themselves to tree trunks with sacred threads. Passages from the Srimad Bhagavata Katha were also read aloud to remind those present that the natural forests were blessed and an intrinsic part of India’s spiritual heritage. "The philosophy of fasting is that you search inside yourself, and you surrender yourself to the Supreme Power. 'Now I am in Your hands, and if there is anything lacking inside me, give me Light.' So, Gandhiji was doing the same thing."

Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was considered one of the greatest American authors and humorists. Among his many works, his novels “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” and its sequel “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” have become classics in American literature. A man of many talents, Mark Twain was also a riverboat pilot, journalist, lecturer, inventor, and entrepreneur. His writing style was usually informal and amusing, differentiating him from other important 19th-century writers. He once wrote, “Humor is mankind's greatest blessing.” In 1865, his short story “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” was published. The entertaining tale was printed in newspapers across the country and brought him national attention. His next step to success came in 1869, with the publication of his first book, “The Innocents Abroad.” It became a nationwide bestseller. In 1883, Mark Twain published one of his most important works, “Life on the Mississippi.” Both entertaining and informative, it is a textbook on the history‚ life, and lore of the Mississippi River during the 19th century. In addition, Mr. Twain was a humanitarian who cared for the rights of people from the humans and animal kingdoms alike. He believed that animal-people are intelligent, morally upright beings, and spoke out against the use of people from the animal kingdom in sports, entertainment, and research, including cock-people fighting and bull-people fighting. In a letter to the London Anti-vivisection Society, he wrote: “I am not interested to know whether Vivisection produces results that are profitable to the human race or doesn’t. To know that the results are profitable to the race would not remove my hostility to it. The pains which it inflicts upon unconsenting animals is the basis of my enmity towards it, and it is to me sufficient justification of the enmity without looking further.” Here, Samuel Clemens, lauded as the great writer Mark Twain, passed away at the age of 74 on April 21, 1910.

Today, we continue our interview with Mr. Panudet Kerdmali and Mrs. Kanoknuch Chankham of the Seub Nakhasathien Foundation. They tell us how earnestly Mr. Seub Nakhasathien tried to awaken the public. “I think another important issue is communication. At that time, Mr. Seub tried to use the media, in order to tell everyone why forests are important.”In Seub Nakhasathien’s loving memory, a documentary called “The Lights Never Gone” was created by Thai Public Broadcasting Service to commemorate his achievements. The documentary aired in August 2013. In 2019, also to commemorate the life of this exceptional man, a short biographical film “Raining in Huai Kha Khaeng” starred Nopachai Jayanama as Seub Nakhasathien and was directed by Phakpoom Wongpoom. “I’m speaking on behalf of all wildlife. Do you have any idea how many animals have to die so that you can enjoy all the conveniences in life?” “I want you to try to imagine that these animals have families. They have fathers, mothers, children, just like us. They have the right to live. But what right do we have to end their lives?”Tigers, tapirs, Asiatic wild dogs, bantengs, and gaurs are some of the numerous endangered species that are protected by specialized teams and rangers who patrol the area, ensuring that the animals and forest are safe. In forest villages, the villagers support programs to stop deforestation and hunting, and they have switched to organic farming to avoid harming the local ecosystems with chemicals and pesticides. “Today, this has happened, and there is collaborative management of the whole area. And the Department of National Parks also sees the importance of doing a lot of work on this issue. This was what Mr. Seub created, and it has been passed on till this current day.”“The proper conservation of any resource does not mean mere safekeeping, but means the sustainable use of the resource in as many ways as possible so that the future generation may benefit from its multi-faceted benefits as well.” – Seub Nakhasathien

Today, we are very honored to hear more from Mr. Panudet Kerdmali and Mrs. Kanoknuch Chankham, the Secretary-General and the Project Coordinator of the Seub Nakhasathien Foundation. “Seub Nakhasathien Foundation is a non-governmental organization that is non-profit. We are a conservation organization set up in 1990, 18 days after Mr. Seub Nakhasathien passed away. His friends, co-workers, and conservationists converged at his memorial and agreed that there should be a continuation of the work that Mr. Seub Nakhasathien did when he was alive. Mr. Seub tried to protect the natural resources, whether it was the forest or the wild animals.” “I think when Mr. Seub was alive, what he really tried to do was to do everything so that the personnel who were rangers or personnel on the ground, who lived in the area, they were able to efficiently look after and protect the resources as much as they could.” “This is one issue. Another issue is research analysis of information in order to conserve resources. This is an issue that Seub Nakhasathien Foundation tries to push with regards to opposition to projects that impact the forest and wild animals. For example, not long ago there was the issue of the Mae Wong Dam, with regards to the road that will cut through the forest. Roads that cut through the forest, firstly, they break up the forest. Another factor is that this enables wildlife hunters easier access.” “The foundation is now aware that activities have an impact, especially with regards to plans to build dams in the forest. It causes the absolute loss of the heredity of the wild animals in that area. Therefore, the Seub Nakhasathien Foundation opposes development of large dams in forest areas.” Supreme Master Ching Hai: “Gratefully present the Seub Nakhasathien Foundation the Shining World Compassion Award with US$10,000 as a small token of support for this noble work. May the Buddhas protect your team and those loving, majestic, free-living animal co-inhabitants with Blessing and Divine Love.”

“I would like to speak on behalf of wildlife because they cannot speak for themselves.” – Seub Nakhasathien Legendary environmentalist and nature-lover Seub Nakhasathien is well-known for his important work in wildlife conservation and his tireless efforts to bring justice to the voiceless animal inhabitants of Thungyai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary and Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary in Thailand. Seub Nakhasathien was born “Seubyos” on December 31, 1949, in Tha Nga, Prachinburi Province, Thailand. His father was once the governor of Prachinburi. In 1979, Seub Nakhasathien was awarded a British Council scholarship to study Resource and Environmental Conservation at London University for his Master’s degree. After his studies, he was appointed wildlife evacuation project leader for the Cheow Lan Dam project. Cheow Lan Dam was completed in 1987, and the resulting flooding destroyed 185 square kilometers (71 square miles) of lowland evergreen rainforest. A rescue operation was carried out to save some of the wildlife, including endangered species stranded on islands. In 1989, Seub Nakhasathien was granted a PhD scholarship to study in the United Kingdom, but he accepted the post of superintendent of Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary in Thailand instead. When he took over the job, he courageously had to deal with poachers every day. Most of Seub Nakhasathien’s adult life was spent studying wild animals, and he produced numerous academic papers on wildlife conservation. His reports were widely published, and to raise public awareness on the need to safeguard wildlife, he also often gave lectures and held exhibitions utilizing posters and photographs. He worked hard to protect the sanctuaries from deforestation and poaching, appealing to government agencies for support. He also prepared reports to propose the sanctuaries he was working in, become listed as Natural World Heritage Sites by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). “One year after Mr. Seub’s death, Thungyai Naresuan-Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuaries became a Natural World Heritage Site.”

Born on August 31, 1936, in Monroeville, Alabama, Marva Collins, whose maiden name was Knight, was an American teacher. In 1975, she started Westside Preparatory School, which served an impoverished community in Garfield Park, Chicago. Marva Collins’ system of teaching displayed how much she cared for each student. She was generous with hugs and praise, calming, and able to get through to students who were initially resistant to learning. Mrs. Collins loved all students equally, and she respected their intellectual independence and individuality even when they disagreed with her. Essentially, Marva Collins offered her students “a philosophy for living.” She emphasized that achievement and excellence in life requires a sense of worth and independent thinking.Marva Collins trained teachers in her educational program, basing her curriculum on classical literature and material that contains abstract concepts. She encouraged her students to analyze what they read and express their own opinions and interpretations. Her purpose was to teach them the values of holding societies together. According to one classroom observer, the children were keen to participate in classroom debates, and their verbal skills and reasoning abilities were outstanding. Marva Collins passed away on June 24, 2015, at the age of 78, but her spirit, drive, courage, and dedication live on through her students and their high levels of accomplishment. A unique and saintly teacher, Marva Collins’ exemplary life-story continues to be an inspiration for parents and educators.In 2009, during a climate change conference with Supreme Master Ching Hai in Washington, D.C., Master mentioned the noble and crucial role of teachers. "And it is true that we are indebted to all the inspiring teachers whom we are honored to learn from throughout our lives, especially the teachers who impart the moral values as you mentioned, and a virtuous way of life; who help to nurture the citizens of the world to do good deeds selflessly; who treat others with kindness and fairness; and take care of the weak and the less fortunate. If we had more such teachers, our world could become a Heaven."

Today is World Teachers’ Day, an international event launched by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1994. To celebrate this special day, we reflect on one distinguished educator’s story. Marva Collins became internationally renowned for developing her own educational methods and empowering her students. She has written books and manuals describing her history and methodology. The 1981 biographical TV movie entitled “The Marva Collins Story,” starring Cicely Tyson and Morgan Freeman, was released as a tribute to her success.Although she had no teaching certificate, Mrs. Collins was hired to teach second grade in public schools in Chicago as a full-time substitute teacher for 14 years. Through her experiences in that teaching system, Mrs. Collins found that the quality of education her own children were receiving deserved to be better. She was dissatisfied with its unfavorable treatment and attitude toward impoverished inner-city students. Marva Collins disregarded the Board of Education’s teaching guide and trusted her own experience. Rather than going by the public schools’ methods, which used books with pictures and dull workbooks, she developed her own teaching methods that truly worked, using phonics to teach reading and adding literary classics and poetry into the curriculum. Mrs. Collins facilitated discussions of the readings and had students memorize poetry. She used positive methods of discipline to address misconducts. “It’s always the children are the big ‘YOU’s’ and we are all the little ‘I’s.’ The teachers are not the big ‘I’s’ in our school. No teacher in our school has a desk. We do not have a chair nor a teacher’s desk. We walk all day. We serve the children. We find something positive to say about a child every morning: ‘I like your gym shoes. I like your ribbon. I like your blue jeans.’ We find something to say good to a child every morning. That’s just as important as the curriculum.”

That fateful day on the 12th of April 1961, Yuri Gagarin’s speech recorded this touching moment: “Dear friends, both known and unknown fellow countrymen, and people of all countries and continents! In a few minutes, a mighty spaceship will carry me into the far-away expanses of space. What can I say to you in these last minutes before the start? The whole of my life seems to be condensed into one wonderful moment. Everything I have experienced and done till now has been in preparation for this moment.” At his first press conference, he recalled: “The view of the Earth from an altitude of 175 to 300 kilometers (100 to 185 miles) is very sharp. The Earth’s surface looks approximately the same as seen from a high-flying jet plane. Clearly distinctive are large mountain ranges, large rivers, large forest areas, shorelines and islands.” After April 12, 1961, Yuri Gagarin became an instant superstar, and he rose to the occasion, living up to the position of a national hero. He displayed a level of charisma that had not been witnessed in his home country for several decades. In a nation that had experienced a lot of turmoil during much of the 20th century, the occasion of Yuri Gagarin’s conquering of space was met by the public, almost universally, with an incredible outpouring of joy and patriotic fervor. He went on to become one of the first people to propose the use of a fixed-wing space vehicle, similar to the space shuttle designs that were later used by NASA in the US.Yuri Gagarin truly embraced the principles of equality and the brotherhood of man. He was at heart a pilot, with the soul of a poet. His journey into space had broadened his sense of benevolence for all of humanity as he looked down upon the most beautiful blue ball that is our Earth. To close today’s program, let us remember the wise words of Yuri Gagarin – the first man in space: “Circling the Earth in the orbital spaceship, I marveled at the beauty of our planet. People of the world!! Let us safeguard and enhance this beauty – not destroy it.”

On April 12, 2021, an unforgettable aerial tribute took place in Russia to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the incredible day that cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to leave the Earth’s atmosphere. Designated Cosmonautics Day by the United Nations, this spectacular event was celebrated around the world. In Russia, a display of modern drone technology in tandem with computer heightened artistry wowed the crowds, honoring the moment when Yuri Gagarin entered what was then an almost completely unknown domain, launching into space in the Soviet built spacecraft Vostok 1, and then returning safely to Earth. Yuri Gagarin was born on March 9, 1934, in the Russian village of Klushino, in the Smolensk region. In 1959, the Soviet Union began selecting its first group of cosmonauts. Yuri was one of The 154 applicants, of whom only 20 would be selected for training. In training, they were shut in a sensory deprivation chamber for as long as 10 days, and subjected to extreme heat and cold. Some candidates were injured during the process, and at least one trainee lost his life, yet they were all fully aware that they were risking their lives for this honorable duty for which they had all prepared. Just prior to the flight, Yuri wrote a letter to his wife and two young daughters: “I trust the hardware completely. It will not fail. I personally don’t believe it would happen. But if it does, I ask you all and you, Valyusha, in the first place not to waste yourself with grief. Life is life, and there is no guarantee for anybody that tomorrow a car might not end one’s life. Take care of our girls; love them like I do.” On the morning of the 12th of April, 1961. When Yuri finally made it into the rocket, there was a delay while some final adjustments were made; and finally, as the rockets were ignited and Vostok 1 left the launchpad, Yuri exclaimed the immortal line, “Poyekhali!” – “Let’s go!” in Russian. He left the Earth, thundering toward the sky!