I always consider the economic situation and circumstances of each country I visit. I do not ignore these aspects just because I am wealthy. Of course, I have enough money to install hundreds of heaters and air-conditioners, but my house has no air-conditioning. When we were building the old wooden hut in Hsihu, a resident disciple kept persuading me to install an air-conditioner, but I refused. I didn’t want one because no one else had one. A little heat cannot kill us; it is coldness that is dreadful. Coldness consumes our energy and makes us tremble all the time. As a result, we cannot concentrate on our work, and that makes a difference. Occasionally, I turn on the electric heater when my physical condition demands it. For instance, when it is cold during the night, I turn on the heater for a while, and then switch it off; I don’t keep it on the whole day. Besides, I always choose one that consumes the least electricity. They bought some 400-watt heaters for me, but I dare not use them because I don’t think they are necessary. For me alone, 300 watts is more than enough, and I use it only because I can’t find a heater with a lower power consumption rating. Each time they buy an electric appliance, I always check the wattage. Here I have become an electric power expert. Whenever we buy any electric appliance, I always check the required wattage first.

Today, they brought me three heaters from abroad, and the first thing I checked was the wattage. A resident disciple assured me that the consumption would not be high, but I insisted: “It definitely will be high! I know the electrical appliances made in that country require high wattage.” Indeed I was right. I found that they were all 1,500- and 1,000-watt units. I said, “Return them; I am not using them.” I dare not use even 400-watt units, not to mention those consuming 1,000 watts or more! I can make a fire with timber. The only exception is when it is too cold at night, or when I fall ill. My body cannot stand the cold, and to preserve this body for serving everyone, I have to use it for a while. Otherwise, I rarely use it.

Whatever I teach you, I really practice myself. Please cut down on power consumption, otherwise, it won’t last long. The first ones to suffer will be us. Don’t use it as lavishly as you can, and think that it is good for us; it might not be! We have an idiom in Au Lac that says, “Eat less and you will have enough food for a long time.” My grandma taught me this, which means if we eat all the food today, we will have no food for tomorrow. The reason I am telling you this is not because of money. We can afford the electricity bill today, but please be more moderate in using electricity.