Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation

Da Ai television celebrated its 13th birthday on January 1, with staff and volunteers all over Taiwan joining by satellite to look back on its achievements and to thank the recycling volunteers' contribution.

Da Ai television went on air in Taiwan on January 1, 1998 and overseas in October 1999. Today its signal can reach 79 percent of the world’s population through satellites. It ranks among the six most popular channels in Taiwan and is the most important link between the foundation and its millions of members overseas. Of its income, 25 percent comes from the sales of the foundation’s 4,500 recycling centers around Taiwan. The rest comes from donations from individuals, sales of DVDs of its programs and donations from companies who have their names broadcast.

The celebration was held in the foundation’s Humanitarian Centre in Guandu in north Taipei, a 230-foot-high state-of-the-art facility built on land donated by the owner of a software company. The station started broadcasting from there on January 1, 2005. The event began with a sign language performance by station staff and children. By satellite, volunteers from Taichung, Chiayi, Kaohsiung and Hualian joined the celebration.

Speaking from Kaohsiung, station president Du Junyuan said that he represented the Humanitarian Centre in expressing gratitude to the work of recycling volunteers around the world: “they are protecting the environment and helping Da Ai Television to spread around the world the concepts of Master Cheng Yen on how to purify society.” He encouraged everyone to set a good example: “we should work together to promote the idea that purity begins at source and be a role model not only in Taiwan, but around the world.” Tang Jianming, the chief executive of the station, said that the staff had been looking forward to the birthday celebration. “Through coming here, we want to express our gratitude to recycling volunteers for their determination to safeguard our plant and support Da Ai,” he said.

Over the past 13 years, Da Ai has recorded many stories of Tzu Chi volunteers and the highlights of Tzu Chi culture. It has also borne witness to the four missions of the foundation in purifying the human mind. During the past year of 2010, there were many disasters around the world, which were caused by the disorders of the human heart. Therefore, Master Cheng Yen said it is important to have a healthy media to purify and correct the hearts of people.

Master Cheng Yen reminded everyone to sow the seeds of love in their communities. “Recycled goods are sorted by category and cleaned,” she said. “Through resource conservation and waste reduction, we turn recyclables into fine re-usable materials.” As the new year began, staff at the Humanitarian Center and recycling volunteers around the island started to work together to conserve resources.

DA AI TV CELEBRATES 13TH BITTHDAY