Today’s Enlightening Entertainment will be presented in Chinese, with subtitles in Arabic, Aulacese (Vietnamese), Chinese, English, French, German, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, Thai and Spanish.

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.

Joyful viewers, welcome to Enlightening Entertainment. Today we will accompany you to Danaiku Valley in Ali Shan, Formosa (Taiwan). The Danaiku Valley is famous for its beautiful scenery and teeming fish. The meaning of “Danaiku” is carefree. It is a holy place for the Tsou people and killing is not allowed here. There used to be many animals of diverse species living here peacefully with humans. The rivers were once alive with so many fish that no one could see the bed of the rivers.

Mr. Kao Cheng-sheng belongs to Formosa’s (Taiwan) Tsou Tribe, an aboriginal ethnic group. Mr. Kao is respectfully called “The Father of the Ku Fish in Danaiku Valley.” A pious Christian, he has also earned the title of the “green priest.”

They gave me a nickname, the “green priest.” Actually, I am not a priest. I am just an ordinary Christian, but I love God very much. So, God has specially sent angels to give me a gift. My angels sang before me and the song was about how God loves the people in this world. Having received this song, I share God’s love with all the people around me and let them know that God loves each of us. However, God also loves the great nature that He created. Thus we must live with nature in harmony.

We must live in harmony with nature. It’s the belief of the Tsou people that: “If we treat Danaiku Valley with kindness, it will provide for us.” However, because of climate change and the encroachment of urban development, the ecosystem in Danaiku Valley has been damaged severely. The harm was to the point that the special ku fish, found only in the Valley, was facing extinction.

In order to preserve this holy place inherited from the ancestors, Mr. Kao Cheng-sheng, who was the village chief at that time, ventured to the source of the river in Danaiku Valley to investigate. When he returned, he knew that bold action was needed. Together with other officials in the village, he visited the elders one by one and patiently explained to them his dream of restoring the life and land of Danaiku Valley.

But in order to do so, he would have to appeal to the elders to relinquish their sovereignty over the land and thus permit the activities needed to save it. Mr. Kao was met with resistance. But with unwavering faith in God, he persevered.

Originally everything was kaput. But because I didn’t give up. I kept seeking Him, so God let me see Him. And then I use the love that He gives me to love myself, love my family, and to love other people. Thus, many impossible things become possible. Dead rivers were revived. People despising each other reconciled. Hopeless tribes became hopeful ones.

It took Mr. Kao Chen-sheng two years and many meetings to convince the Tsou people that it was possible to bring life back to the valley. His determination gradually moved hearts.

Our Ali Shan young people asked, “Where is our future? Our ecosystem is destroyed, and our culture almost disappeared. Our traditional agriculture has lost its competitive edge. In the future, people will only be able to find information about our Tsou Tribe in the libraries or museums.”

I told them, “We can make a final try to restore the nature in our Danaiku Valley. I told them that we would build a living museum, and it wouldn’t be just to attract the tourists. We had to educate our future generations and teach them to treasure nature.

In the end, about 650 tribe members joined the revitalizing program. Tribe members began to patrol the river to protect the fish all year round and in all weather. Many of them put down their work to help patrol. They built a straw hut at the entrance of the valley to protect themselves from the rain. In the cold evening, they would build a fire on a big rock and sleep with their jackets on. Thus, through this work, they established a deep bond with Danaiku Valley.

After a year, more volunteers joined the patrolling group. They worked unconditionally, out of their love toward their homeland. The Tsou Tribe found the project meaningful, regained their self-confidence, and became more united than ever.

Mr. Kao brought us young and old to the Shanmei Village in the Danaiku Valley and we worked quietly. We didn’t ask for anything in return, neither did we have any income. We didn’t get anything, and we all did it as volunteers.

After years of dedicated work, Danaiku Valley recovered its glory with green hills and clear water. In 1995, the Tsou people celebrated the grand opening of Danaiku Valley Ecological Park.

Then, many tourists came to the Danaiku Valley. Even the CEO of the International Environmental Protection Alliance visited our place, and he said this was the pride of Formosa (Taiwan), the glory of all indigenous people.

A world renowned scientist of environmental protection put the Danaiku Valley on a global website, so the whole world can see the natural park that we have built. Many people came to visit our place, including the Germans, the Japanese, and the Chinese from Mainland China. Our place has transformed into a living museum.

Please stay tuned to Supreme Master Television. When we return, Mr. Kao Cheng-sheng is honored with the Shining World Protection Award.

Welcome back to today’s program featuring Mr. Kao Cheng-sheng, a Formosan (Taiwanese) aboriginal leader and conservationist who was honored with the Shining World Protection Award from Supreme Master Ching Hai.

He has devoted his entire life in preserving the ecology of our community. This is a fact that all of us in Formosa and even our foreign friends have witnessed.

Through his perseverance in rallying his people together, Mr. Kao Sheng-cheng proved the saying: “If we treat Danaiku Valley with kindness, it will provide for us.” The Danaiku Valley Ecological Park continues to be highly regarded as a model conservation area for other regions in Formosa.

Visitors come to enjoy the pristine atmosphere. Moreover, fishing is prohibited in many mountain villages in the region, ensuring the rivers are places of refuge and safety for the freshwater life. Meanwhile, Mr. Kao and his people’s vision of environmental stewardship lives on.

Our young people said, “We have to become the candle of eco-protection, so we can light up our home again, so we can rebuild our dream.” We call upon all of our young people in the Ali Shan Village and all the indigenous people in Formosa to be the protectors of our Mother Earth, and to protect our home, Formosa.

For his leadership and dedicated effort to preserve the environment, Supreme Master Ching Hai honored Mr. Kao Cheng-sheng with the Shining World Protection Award.

“…For compassionately striving for a gentler world where all beings peacefully coexist, for respecting the land, nature and her residents and for being a dedicated and noble role model, we hereby applaud and celebrate the great eco-friendly deeds of Mr. Kao Cheng-sheng, protector of life and the environment. With Great Honour, Love and Blessings, The Supreme Master Ching Hai”

Mr. Kao, we hereby present this Shining World Environment Protection Award “from Supreme Master Ching Hai to Mr. Kao Cheng-Sheng for your outstanding contribution in protecting the Danaiku Valley, in creating a harmonious habitat for all, and in creating a sustainable future. For your brave eco-protection actions, we give you our highest salute and gratitude. Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association.”

Because of our village’s work in environmental preservation, our former village head, Mr. Kao, is able to receive such an honor. We are so grateful that our Shanmei villagers can share this honor with him.

Since I had personally followed Mr. Kao’s leadership, I truly agree that he deserves this award.

In addition to receiving the award plaque, Mr. Kao Cheng-sheng also was presented with gifts, including Supreme Master Ching Hai’s #1 international bestsellers, “The Dogs in My Life,” “The Birds in My Life,” and “The Noble Wilds,” as well as books based on her lectures, “The Realization of Health” and “God Takes Care of Everything.” He also received Supreme Master Ching Hai’s lecture DVDs and music CDs.

I am extremely happy to receive this award. Saving the Danaiku Valley Ecological Park is the concerted effort of our Shanmei Tribe people, and with the encouragement from the Head of Alishan Township to beautify our homeland. Therefore, we strive to restore the lost beauty of Danaiku - the Carefree Valleys. So, we are really happy in receiving this acknowledgement from Supreme Master Ching Hai.

We are also aware that she is working hard to love the great nature, the world, and is appealing to the whole world to work together to protect this beautiful Earth created by God. So I am really happy to receive this award, and I would like to offer this award to my Lord, and the aboriginal people of Formosa. Let us strive together to make Taiwan better and more beautiful, thus restoring the old name of Formosa – the Beautiful Island.

In October 2009, Mr. Kao Cheng-sheng attended the live videoconference in Taichung, Formosa on the organic vegan solution to climate change, with honored guest Supreme Master Ching Hai. A vegetarian himself, Mr. Kao took the opportunity at the award ceremony to encourage everyone to live in peace with nature and be veg to save the planet.

The animal-free diet, right! It is very, very good! Many medical experts and scientists have discovered that. Vegetables grown from uncontaminated soil are much more nutritious than meat. So, really, we can have a healthier diet without eating meat.

Cherished audience, all the audience worldwide, we have to save the planet, be veg, and protect the environment. Only then can we save the planet that we are living on. Let us all be veg, go green, save the planet! Thank you very much.

We sincerely thank Mr. Kao Cheng-sheng and the Tsou Tribe for protecting this precious and beautiful corner of our Earth, Danaiku Valley. With best wishes for your people and Formosa, may your conservational efforts continue to be blessed to benefit all the world.

Cheerful viewers, we are glad to have your company for today’s program. Coming up next is Words of Wisdom, after Noteworthy News. Please stay tuned to Supreme Master Television. May all beings thrive in grace and joy.