宗教谅解 社会和谐Religious Understanding For A Harmonious Society

佛陀日是纪念佛陀诞生、成道及涅槃的日子。佛陀的诞生人间为人类带来了生命的尊严与希望。佛陀的成道肯定了人类觉悟真理的潜能。佛陀的涅槃则唤醒了人类圆满生命的意义和延续真理传承的必要。

2009年佛陀日的主题是“宗教谅解，社会和谐”。在马来西亚这一个多元种族、宗教和文化的国家，种族与宗教间的互相谅解是促进社会和谐和国家持续发展的关键。在建设和谐社会的过程中，佛教和其他宗教一样，有着重要的作用，对个人可提供安身立命之处，以求得心理平衡，并进而提升人的心灵境界；对社会则可提供了一种教化机制，维护着社会安定和精神生态平衡。世界主要宗教的道德伦理有其相同的普世价值观，基督教宣扬博爱、佛教体现慈悲、依斯兰教强调仁慈。从这点去看，宗教间的纷争是不必要的。任何纷争都可以通过沟通、体会与谅解去解决。只要大家拥有平等宽容、慈爱众生的心念，社会肯定会和谐。

古印度的阿育王，遵照佛陀宽容谅解的模范，不仅放弃了族群对立与战争，更恭敬供养国内所有的宗教。并在岩石上刻出诰文：“不可只尊敬自己的宗教，而菲薄他人的宗教。应如理尊重他教，这样做，不但可帮助自己宗教的成长，而且也对别的宗教尽了义务。反过来做；则不但替自己的宗教掘了坟墓，也伤害了别的宗教。凡是尊重自教而非难他教的人，当然是为了忠于自教，以为‘我将光大自宗’，但是，相反的，他更严重地伤害了他自己的宗教。因此，和谐才是好的。大家都应该谛听，而且心甘情愿地谛听其他宗教的教义。” 因此，一些依然迷信于极端种族及宗教主义的领袖，应该回归道德伦理的原点，那就是谅解、包容与和谐的精神。

我国新任首相拿督斯里纳吉就任后所提出了“一个马来西亚”的治国理念，其主张平等、和谐及共存的理念是可以通过佛教所提到的“六和敬”纲领来落实的。“六和敬”就是“身和同住、口和无诤、意和同悦、戒和同修、见和同解、利和同均”。我们需要改善社会治安，戒和同修就有律治的规范；我们希望各族国民利益均衡，利和同均就含有财富公平分配的理念；我们要有共同的社会价值观念和理想目标，见和同解正是追求拥有基本伦理价值观念一致的“一个马来西亚”精神。至于身和同住、口和无诤、意和同悦，则是现实生活中各族同胞之间团结、和睦、和谐关系的具体表现。

Wesak day marks three momentous events in Buddha's life - His birth, the supreme enlightenment, and attainment into Nibbana. The birth of Buddha brought dignity and hopes to the life of human being. The attainment of Buddhahood acknowledged the potential of human being to obtain liberation. The passing away of Buddha into Nibbana reminded us on the significance of life and the importance to inherit the ultimate truth.

The theme for Wesak 2009 is “Religious Understanding for A Harmonious Society”. It is important for a multi-racial, multi-religious and multi-cultural country like Malaysia to develop mutual understanding and tolerances among different beliefs and ethnic group in order to develop a harmonious society and to achieve sustainable growth. Like other main religions, Buddhism has been an admirable lighthouse for guiding the devotees to the salvation of eternal bliss, it also helps to inculcate ethical-moral cooperation for universal good. The few main religions have similar universal values that are regarded to be the goal of spiritual life. The Christianity promotes love, the Buddhism promotes compassion and loving kindness and the Islam promotes benevolence. Therefore, there shouldn’t existed fights between religions. Any dispute can be solved through proper communication and mutual understanding. The society will be in peace and harmony if everyone observes the good virtue of equality, compassion, tolerance and loving kindness.

In the olden days of India, after embraced with the teaching of the Buddha, King Asoka stopped wars and fights, and started respects all religions in the country. He inscribed his teachings in one of the rocks: “We should not solely respect our religion and belittle others; we should respect other religions like how we respect ours; This way will help our religion to grow while we fulfill the responsibility to others. On the other hand, if we hurt others, we will be hurt too; thus, harmonious should be the fundamental principles, we should always listen and learn from other religion.” Therefore, religious extremists or racist leaders should go back to the basic principle: that is the spirit of mutual understanding, tolerance and harmonious.

The “One Malaysia” concept proposed by our new Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak constituted the promotion of peace, harmony and togetherness and it is corresponding to Buddha’s teaching on the “Six Principles of Reverent Harmony”. It includes the following:

1. doctrinal unity in views and explanations to ensure common understanding
2. moral unity in observing the precepts to achieve equality for all under the rules
3.economic unity in community of goods to effect fair distribution of economic interests
4. mental unity in belief to provide mutual support in spiritual cultivation
5. oral unity in speech to nurture com-passion and love
6. bodily unity in behavior to assure nonviolence and harmonious living.

We need a society that is secured and safe, the moral unity helps to preserve it; we requires a fair distribution of wealth and economic interest among the Malaysian, the economic unity set the guidelines; and we need a society that acquires common social values and objective in cultivating the spirit of “One Malaysia”, doctrinal unity in views and explanations is the one we should possess. The bodily unity, oral unity and mental unity are those universal values that we should have in living a society of united, peace and harmony.

Last but not least, we wish everyone a Happy Wesak and let’s pray for a Peaceful and Harmonious Malaysia!