踏青淨地 · 實修報恩--1060430踏青淨地活動報導 Outing for Land Cleansing to Repay the Kindness of Sentient Beings on April 30, 2017 @ 中華清淨學佛協會

106年4月30日午後，中華清淨學佛協會一年一度的踏青淨地活動，在陽光與微風中的基隆河河濱展開。其實早在協會去年11月獲准成立前，已舉辦過幾次淨地活動，今年首次以協會名義舉辦，社會大眾報名十分踴躍，開放報名不久，報名人數即達上限50人！

在開始淨地前，協會創辦人段貞夙老師應邀為眾人致詞：『在追求明白自心、修正自心的這條道路上，最強調的就是透過利益他人、利益眾生，來調伏、對治我們心中的貪瞋癡執著，但我們到底能怎麼利益眾生呢？這個我們引以為傲的物質文明，是以傷害剝削了地球大自然所換得的，所以說在這個時代到底能怎麼做一點點真的利益眾生的事情，我認為除了少欲知足，到大自然撿垃圾，是個最直接的方式。』老師並鼓勵在場大眾把握淨地實修的機會，練習身心合一、保持覺知。聽聞老師解說踏青淨地的初衷與意義，在場大眾都歡喜著能用一點點時間體力，回饋報答一直無私給予我們的大自然，並體驗淨地淨心。

感恩段老師特別商請禪心中醫診所的負責人廖師傅，教導大家撿拾垃圾的正確姿勢，讓大家在淨地時身心都能舒展愉悅。工作人員分發完淨地工具並叮嚀注意安全後，大夥兒帶著感恩的心，開始淨地了！

一行50人，有全家出動的，有三五好友一起報名的，淨地過程中，有人感動地說：「真的如老師所教『淨地撿拾垃圾，是一種練習身心合一、保持覺知的實修機會』」，即使每年都參加，每次都仍有不同收穫與體會。看似乾淨的河濱，大人小孩們戴著粗棉手套蹲在地上，撿起許多的煙蒂、小紙片，也有人拿著夾子在草叢中一一撿出飲料杯、保特瓶、便當盒及塑膠袋。大家淨地成果豐碩，一共撿了22大袋(每袋25公升)的物品(包含16大袋不可回收物品，及6大袋的資源回收物品)，及3大箱保麗龍廢棄箱及板材。很難想像，接下來在梅雨季節及颱風天的豪大雨時，如果這些垃圾通通被沖刷進河海裡，魚蝦等水中生物誤食後的傷害與痛苦，河濱的垃圾看似離我們很遙遠，但作為食物鏈中一員的我們，終究還是會受到傷害...

清點完豐碩的淨地成果後，大家一邊享用協會發放的小點心，一邊聚精會神地學著廖師傅教導的肩頸保健操。整個淨地活動圓滿順利，理事長特別感謝協會的創辦人，我們的段貞夙老師，帶著我們從無到有一點一滴地做，讓我們從做中學，學習利己利他、回饋社會。在春天的午後，體驗了淨地淨心，不僅身體獲得舒展，也做了外在的生態環保及內在心靈環保，眾人更深切瞭解原來佛法是這樣與生活連結在一起，而利益他人，第一個收穫的也就是自己。這場踏青淨地就在汗水及歡喜中圓滿完成。

Association of Pure Buddhist (APB) held annual outing for land cleansing in the afternoon on April 30, 2017. In the sunshine and breeze, the event started in the riverside park in Keelung River Basin. Before APB got the incorporation approval in last November, there were several outings for land cleansing held during the past years. This is the first time that the event was held under the name of APB and people signed up enthusiastically. Soon after the announcement of registration, the number of applicants reached the limitation of participants of 50 people!

At the beginning of the land cleansing, the founder of APB, Teacher Susan Duan, was invited to give an address to attendants. "On the way to seek for self-awareness and self-correction toward mindfulness, the most important thing is to benefit others (sentient beings). We can retreat greed, hatred and stupidity in our heart by way of benefiting others. The coming question is---how can we benefit sentient beings? We hurt and exploit the earth and nature in exchange for the material civilization of which we are proud. In addition to be content with few desires, to pick up trash in the nature, is the most direct way to benefit others.” taught by Teacher Susan Duan. She also encouraged the attendants to treasure the opportunity to practice the maintenance of awareness and unity of body and mind through the land cleansing. After understanding the initial intention and the meaning of the land cleansing, everyone was glad to spend some time and make a little effort to repay the kindness of the nature and experience the land and mind cleansing at the same time.

It is thankful that Teacher Susan Duan invited Dr. Liao, the chairman of Zen Heart Chinese Medicine Clinic, to teach the correct poses for picking trash up in order to enable participants to stretch both body and mind and commence the land cleansing joyfully. After APB staffs allocated the cleansing tools and reminded participants about taking care of safety for each other, everyone started to clean the land with grateful heart!

Among the 50 participants, there are people from whole family members and groups of good friends as well. In the process of land cleansing, some people were moved and shared to each other “What Teacher Susan Duan has taught us is so real---Picking up trash is an opportunity to practice the unity of body and mind and keeping awareness. Though I participated in this activity every year, I still gained different harvests and experiences each time.” The riverside seemed clean; however, after adults and children wearing gloves squatted down to the ground, they picked up a lot of cigarette butts and small pieces of wrapping paper. Also, many beverage cups, plastic bottles/bags, and lunch boxes in the grass were picked up with clips. At last, total of 22 large bags (25 liters per bag) of trash (including 16 bags of non-recyclable items and 6 bags of resources recycling items), and 3 large Styrofoam boxes and plates were picked and packed. If the trash was washed into the river by the heavy rain in the coming rainy and typhoon seasons, it is hard to imagine how painful the fishes and other creatures in the water would be because of eating the garbage. The trash in the riverside seemed far away from us, but as long as human beings are in the food chain, we will still be hurt after all …

After counting the plenty results of land cleansing, participants enjoyed the snacks provided by the Association and concentrated on the healthy exercise for protecting shoulder and neck taught by Dr. Liao. The whole land cleansing activity was perfect, the chairman of APB thanked in particular the founder, Teacher Susan Duan, for leading us to grow out of nothing, enabling us to learn by doing, and teaching us to benefit all sentient beings including ourselves and make contribution to society. In the afternoon of the Spring, after experiencing both land and mind cleansing, participants not only stretched their body but also conducted both external and inner (spiritual) environmental protection. Everyone had deeper understanding of how Dharma links to our daily life and realized that to benefit others results in benefiting ourselves. This land cleansing with sweat and joy was successfully completed.