從心耕到農耕
澳洲凱恩斯高地 馬修‧席爾皮斯師兄（原文為英文）
在閱讀了第161期新聞雜誌後，我對於師父為提昇我們地球所做的奉獻，心中真是充滿了感謝。相較於師父的偉大及宇宙的浩瀚無窮，我們每個人甚至整個地球，都顯得那麼渺小，然而當我們邁向一個嶄新的世界村時，我們的意識也不斷地擴大，這個世界村不同於人類長久以來所熟知的模式，而是完全建立在互相關愛與了解的基礎上。
因此，我們最能協助師父的方法似乎就是聽從自己的直覺，依照開悟新紀元的原則而行動，並儘量愛護我們的環境，將愛心擴展至萬事萬物。儘管我們每個人只是整體的一小部分，但我們的作為卻會帶來十分深遠的影響。
舉例來說，目前多數農民還在使用的化學肥料，不但會破壞環境，而且也會對人體造成傷害。此外，這類非有機肥料大多來自石化製品或廢水處理廠的污泥，長期使用所造成的營養不均衡，更會逐漸降低土壤的品質。這些化合物也含有重金屬，就算只是很微量，也足以毒害大部分的生物。
但只要施行有機耕種，這些問題都可以緩和許多。種植有機蔬菜比你想像的還要簡單，只要一小塊土地加上陽光、水及一些時間就足夠了。一旦準備周全，一個有機菜園並不需花很多時間去整理，很快地你就會發現，照顧和疼愛這些長養你的植物是一個非常美好的經驗。
植物是有智力和感覺的，開墾菜園就像擁有一個好朋友，不僅能讓你精力充沛，每天還可以供給你有機蔬菜，幫你節省開支。此外，你所獲得的運動和戶外的歡樂時光更是有益身心健康。
開闢菜園的方法很多。如果你有一個後院，只要清除雜草後，就可以開始種植了。要是家裡沒有後院，也可以用花盆來栽種，但要把它們放在陽光照得到的地方，並記得勤於澆水，因為盆栽比地面種植更容易流失水分。此外，要使用有機培養土或其他良好的混合土壤來種植。
把後院改建成菜園時，儘量不要把草挖除，而是採用有機的方法來清除，這樣可以把有用的覆土保留在土壤裡。例如，你可以把草剪得非常短，然後再將剪下來的草、落葉、木屑、報紙或乾草等覆蓋在上面，這些東西會漸漸腐爛，而使菜園的土地變得非常肥沃。
至於面積比較大的菜園，我發現了一個非常有效的方法，就是用黑色的塑膠布來覆蓋雜草。儘管這種方式會趕走一些對土質有益的生物，像蚯蚓、細菌及菌類植物等，但過一段時間之後，它們還會再回來。在覆蓋草地大約一個星期之後，就可以查看土壤的狀況，時間長短通常要視氣溫高低和陽光多寡而定。只要草地變黃，看起來不會再長起來，你就可以放一些有機肥上去。牛糞是很好的肥料，或者你也可以使用廚餘作成的堆肥。（註）
不管你的室外菜園有多大，接下來的步驟就是添加礦物質養分，或稱之為岩粉（rock dust）。你可以在任何苗圃裡買到岩粉，然後用耙子把它跟堆肥一起混到土裡，再充分澆水。這時你的土壤應該已經夠鬆軟，可以很輕易地用手去挖。如果還是不行，那就再多加一些堆肥、草屑或腐爛的葉子。在土壤中添加一些石灰粉（鈣的一種，苗圃有賣），也是一種讓硬土軟化的好方法。上述步驟完成後，再讓土壤休息一個星期。
準備播種時，要買那些當季生長的種子（種子包裝袋上會有說明），而且最好選擇有機種子，或至少避免使用雜交的種子，因為有可能是基因改造過的。大部分的農作物都需要充足的水分及陽光才能長得好，種植前應詳讀包裝袋上有關植物特性的說明介紹。
一般來講，可以先種豆類，因為豆類可以提供土壤很重要的養分--氮，然後再種一些像蕃茄之類需要較多養分的植物。另外一個建議是不妨多種一些荷蘭芹，因為它不僅很有營養價值，而且只要不斷摘取外面的葉子，就可以一直供給食用達兩年之久。
等種子發芽、成長以後，在各株菜苗之間鋪上覆土、乾草或草屑，但不要蓋到農作物，因為當這些有機物在進行分解時，溫度會上升，可能會傷害到農作物。另外，要注意輪作，也就是不要在同一個地方連續栽種相同的農作物。
最後，要多看看你的農作物，跟她們說說話，傳達你的愛心，播放師父的佛讚來幫助她們成長，並抵抗蟲害。菜園會帶給你大豐收，即使只是一個小小的菜園，也可以提供一個小家庭源源不絕的食物。
只需要一點耐心加上許多愛力，偶爾跟植物們說說話，你將很快擁有一個豐饒的菜園，你也會因此變得更健康。此外，我們對環境及植物界的夥伴所付出的愛，也會提醒我們：師父多麼樂意地與我們分享她的大愛。 ♥
▲ 作者園中的果蔬欣欣向榮--南瓜、義大利瓜（zucchini）、西瓜、番椒等
http://www.godsdirectcontact.org.tw/ch/news/162/index2.htm
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Extend the Garden in Your Heart to | ||||||
| Upon reading The Supreme Master Ching Hai News No. 161, I was filled with gratitude to Master for Her efforts in uplifting our planet. Next to Her greatness and the immensity of the universe, we and our planet are infinitely small. Yet our own consciousness is ever expanding as we move toward a new global community, one based on love and understanding rather than the old ways humankind has known for so long. Thus, it seems that the best way we can help Master is by following our intuition, acting in accord with the principles of the new age of enlightenment and extending our love to all things by caring for our environment in every way possible. Because even though each of us is a small part of the whole, our actions have profound consequences. For example, many of today’s farmers still use chemical fertilizers, which are damaging both to the environment and to our health. Moreover, most of these non-organic compounds are derived from petrochemicals or sewage treatment plant sludge, and over time the nutrient imbalance they induce degrades the soil. These chemicals can also contain heavy metals that are toxic to most biological organisms even in small quantities. But these problems can be mitigated through the practice of organic vegetable gardening, which is easier than you might imagine. All it requires is a small plot of soil, sunshine, water and time. If prepared well, an organic garden requires little maintenance, and you may soon find that caring for and loving the plants that feed you is actually a beautiful experience. Plants do have intelligence and feelings and growing a garden is like having a good friend. The garden will give you fresh, organic food every day, which has the added benefit of reducing your shopping bill. Other healthful benefits are the exercise you gain and the enjoyable time you spend outdoors. There are many ways to grow a vegetable garden. For example, if you have a back yard you can clear away some grass and plant one there, and if not you can use pots. In this case, make sure the potted plants are placed in a sunny location and that they receive adequate water, as pots dry out more easily than soil in the ground. Also, use an organic potting mix or other good soil mix to grow your plants. To create a garden in your back yard, avoid simply destroying the grass but instead remove it in an organic way, as this will leave valuable mulch in the ground. For instance, you can mow the grass down very low and then cover the area with grass clippings, fallen leaves, wood shavings, newspapers, hay and the like. These materials will eventually break down and leave a rich garden bed.
To prepare a larger area for your garden, I have found it effective to cover the grass with black plastic. Even though this method removes friendly organisms such as earthworms, bacteria and fungus that contribute to your soil’s health, these creatures will return over time. After you cover the grassy area, check it in approximately a week, depending on how hot the weather has been and how much sun has been hitting the plastic. Once the grass has turned brown and looks as if it will not grow back, you can add organic fertilizer such as cow manure or compost produced from recycled food scraps*. For any size of outdoor garden, the next step is to add mineral nutrients, also known as rock dust, which are available from any nursery. Then use a pitch fork to work the compost and minerals into the soil and water the ground well. Your soil should now be loose enough to dig using your hands. If not, add more compost, grass clippings or moldy leaves. Adding gypsum (a form of calcium available at nurseries) is also good to help break up hard clay soils. Then let the soil rest for a week before planting. To prepare for planting, buy seeds that will grow in your area during the time of year you intend to plant them. (Look for this information on seed packet labels.) Choose seeds that are labeled organic or at least avoid ones that state they are hybrids, as these may be genetically modified. Also, most plants require plenty of sun and water to grow well; read the label on the seed packet for specific recommendations. As a general guideline, sow beans and legumes, which add the important nutrient nitrogen to the soil, before planting nutrient-hungry plants such as tomatoes. Another suggestion is to plant lots of parsley, which is highly nutritious and will provide food for up to two years as long as you continue to remove the outside leaves. After your seeds have germinated and the plants are growing well, cover the soil between them with mulch, hay or grass clippings but avoid directly touching the plants with these materials because as they decompose they may burn the plants. Also, practice good crop rotation; that is, avoid planting the same plants in the same location twice in a row. Finally, look at your plants, talk to them, give them love and play Master’s chanting tapes to help them grow and become more pest-resistant. They will respond by giving you abundant harvests. Even a small vegetable garden can provide enormous amounts of food for a small family. With a little patience, lots of love and an occasional conversation with your plants you will have a luscious garden growing in no time and become healthier for it. Moreover, the love we share with the environment and our fellow beings in the plant kingdom can remind us of the great love our Master shares so willingly with us all. ♥
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的頭條新聞寫著：「德國素食運動員贏得2005年世界健美先生冠軍！」這篇報導還進一步指出，來自法蘭克福的達格打敗了其他11位參賽者，榮獲健美先生比賽的總冠軍。 
就和她練習拳擊一樣長。華倫契克在受訪時談到，自幼生長於農場中，使她在很小的時候，就已深諳乳牛分泌不出足夠牛奶時的下場。從那時起，她便無法再吃肉。 
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