心灵环保与社会和谐
觉醒
针对当今社会形形色色、错综复杂的矛盾和冲突，第二届世界佛教论坛提出“和谐世界，众缘和合”的主题，极具针砭时弊、激浊扬清之时代意义。和谐世界离不开善缘聚集，和谐世界期待着从心开始的自觉，和谐世界期待着社会大众有一颗环保的心灵。
一、社会和谐期待心灵环保 工业经济和知识经济的发展，尤其是以全球化为特点的知识经济的发展，给人类社会各类矛盾带来了广泛和深刻的影响，当今社会的各类矛盾可以归结为人与自我、人与群体、人与自然三类，而三类矛盾的成因，不外乎利益驱动、制度差异、观念缺陷等几个方面。如何看待人的精神生活与物质生活的关系、个人利益与群体(集体、民族、国家)利益的关系、国家与国家之间的关系、人与自然的关系，以及不同地区、不同国家的文明、文化、价值观念的关系；如何调适思想观念以缓解乃至化解人类社会的矛盾及其根源，从而集全社会之力共同构建和谐世界，是人类面临的紧迫问题。
佛教倡导社会和谐，而社会和谐的落脚点在于众生心理的调适、心灵的调伏。社会和谐的根本要旨，在于以心灵的和谐熏导、感化世界。
１、和谐社会期待着人天相安。人类的生存发展依赖自然，同时也影响着自然。人与自然唇齿相依、血肉相连的依存关系，正为科学的高度发达后人类随心所欲驾御自然能力的畸形发展所稀释。但是，佛法的因果法则和残酷的现实都在警示着人类，漠视自然规律，对自然过度无序的索取，一切以众生欲望之满足为出发点和归宿，必将遭到并且已经遭到自然的报复，给人类自身带来深重的灾祸和无尽烦恼。人与自然之不和谐，实在是源自于人心欲念的杂音过于繁盛，源于心灵调伏的严重失衡。
２、和谐社会期待着人际善缘结集。平等互助、扶贫济困的良好风尚、平等友爱、融洽和睦的人际关系，使尊重人、理解人、关心人、信任人成为人们的自觉行动。和谐社会，是社会成员和谐相处的社会，是能够协调各方利益的社会。构建和谐社会，人际关系的和谐应当视作中枢。而佛陀所倡导的同体大悲，无缘大慈的博大深沉的济世襟怀，无疑是人际关系和谐最为殊胜的境界。
３、和谐社会期待着社会众缘和合。社会公平和国际正义的维护，社会、民族、宗教矛盾的化解，社会公正、公民权利、法律规范的保障，人格、信仰、风俗、语言的尊重，社会性、国际性、地区性突出矛盾热点问题的解决，是实现社会和谐的必要前提，是构建和谐世界的必备因缘。
二、佛教环保始于心灵
发端于印度、发展于华夏、发扬于东南亚、发散于世界各地的佛教，无论是南传、北传，抑或是藏传，无不以“心”为中心，推演为辉煌的佛法教义体系，架构出笃实的佛法践行理路，融化于丰富的世间人伦规范，护佑着祥和的天人和谐氛围。佛教对于环保问题的态度同样首重于心灵的净化。
1、佛教环保始于“依正不二”的宇宙心。
以“十方三世”的广阔时空观为基础，佛教大力倡导“依正不二”的宇宙观，明确主张人类和自然之间，不仅不相互对立，反而相互依存。依报是生命依存的环境，正报是生命主体本身。生命主体和生存环境，虽然在客观世界的现象中，可以作为两个不同的对象来认识，但是，就其本质而言，却是一个不可分割的整体。倘若把主体与环境的关系对立起来考察，就不可能掌握双方的真谛。况且，环境本身也并非一成不变。即使是同一自然，同一土地，由于生存其间的生命的主体不同，环境存在的意义也就迥然各异。从这个意义上看，生命主体与其所生存的环境是“一体不二”的关系。佛法不断探求生命与环境的这种浑然一体的关系，终于在运动于宇宙的生命力中发现了生命的原动力——缘起无我的法则。
2、佛教环保始于“众生一如”的平等心。
佛教将包括植物在内的一切生物都纳入众生平等的理念之中，肯定佛性的平等。佛教尊重人的崇高和伟大，承认人类具有难能可贵之优势，同时也主张人类以外的所有生物，与人一样都具有成佛作主的“真如佛性”。以“缘起”理论为基石，佛教认为：人不应该是对生物界漠不关心的压迫者，而应当作为生物界善良的保护者，对所有生物施加仁慈，珍惜它们、爱护它们。佛教众生平等的理念，若能为世界维护生态平衡的实践所接受，必将具有长久而深远的影响力。
3、佛教环保始于“因果报应”的善恶心。
基于对客观规律的如实体察和全面了解，佛教用普遍联系的方法，对宇宙万事万物之间的因果关系作了较为细致、深刻、准确的分析。把因果报应的发生归结为自身的因素，归结为内在的心念和由此而来的善恶行为。主张发挥人的主观能动性、积极性，倡导敢于负责、直下承当的主人翁意识。佛教虽然不反对偏重于个人心灵的改造和净化，但是，更提倡和鼓励“立足社会，服务大众”的奉献精神。因为只专注个人的利益不会得到永恒的幸福，而且，往往适得其反，所以，佛教树立了大乘菩萨心行规范，从力行十善到慈悲为怀，把入世度生作为佛教徒最高的理想和社会责任。
4、佛教环保始于“共生共荣”的慈悲心。
人类，不论是古代人还是现代人，都是大自然的子孙而不是大自然的主人。人类如果想要保持对于环境的优势，就必须使自己的行为符合自然规律。人类征服自然的企图，通常只会破坏自身赖以生存的自然环境。一旦环境恶化，人类文明也就随之衰落。任何一个文明社会存在的基础，都在于有一个持续的“生命支持系统”。佛经指出：“一切法若无慈悲，皆为魔法；一切法若有慈悲，则皆佛法。”慈悲是佛法的根本。唯有平等慈悲，人类共生共荣的持久和平才有可能。以四摄法施行慈悲、实践慈悲，并用慈悲的眼光平等看待一切众生，用慈悲的语言、慈悲的面容、慈悲的音声化导有情，从而让慈悲精神走进人们内心深处，注入社会和国家肌体之中，踏踏实实地构筑起人类和谐的坚实基础。
三、心灵环保重在践行
佛教文化中：济世利人的道德规范、慈爱和同的处世方式、顺应自然的行为原则、崇俭抑奢的生活信条、清净恬淡的精神境界、人与自然和谐相处的生态智慧等思想，为我们保护生态环境、构建和谐社会起到了指路明灯的作用，但是，如何把佛教闪光的思想落实于具体的行动中，还需要我们不断探索和实践。笔者以为，佛教心灵环保思想的实践可以从以下六个方面切入：
１、明缘起而平等视物
佛教缘起思想认为：宇宙间的一切事物，不论是属于自然界的，还是属于生命界的，都无一例外地由种种关系结合而成，离开了各个结合的关系，事物或现象将无法生成。根据这一法则，人与人、有情与有情、有情与无情，彼此息息相关。从中我们可以体会到众生一体的“大我”精神。虽然佛法的最高层次是要达到“无我”的境地，但是大乘佛教除了培植获得个人解脱的智慧之外，更主要的还是要树立“无缘大慈”、“同体大悲”的利他思想。身处生死流转过程中的众生，因为各自业力、习性、环境、背景等因素的差异，而表现为现象界的千差万別，但是千差万别的现象并不能掩盖众生生命本质上的同一，也就是众生在理性上的平等。这种同一的生命本质，就是一切有情心中本来具有的“佛性”，也就是缘起性空的法性。因此佛教主张 “众生皆有佛性，人人都能成佛”，强调有情应和乐共存、相互容忍，以期佛佛道同、心心相印、事事无碍、法界圆融。
２、去我执而安宁心态
五蕴是组合有情生命的元素，由五蕴组合的生命，本是缘起的假现，在这生命的内在，要想求得一个实在的自我，是绝对不可能的。众生不了解它的缘起假合，以为内有一个实在自我，从而在内心生起坚固执著。因为众生执有自我，所以一切苦痛便由此而生。人类的互相斗争，世界的苦难不已，根本原因就在于不了解“我”本无体，只是假名而已。一般人不了解这个道理，只知道重视自己，不知道尊重别人，甚至为了满足自己的私欲，不惜牺牲他人的利益。现实世界所上演的一幕幕违法案件及战争闹剧，正是“我”字作祟的结果。所以佛法认为众生的自我妄执，是世界的祸乱之源，是人生的苦痛之本，倘若不能击破我们自心对自我的执著，世界将永远不得和平，人生将终究不得安乐。
３、兴慈悲而博爱济众
慈善之举能给人以快乐，悲悯之心能解除他人的痛苦。“无缘大慈，同体大悲”，就是要无条件地实践慈善事业，以“人溺己溺”的精神解除他人的苦难。在佛法看来，生命原本就是共同体，是一而不是二，是同而不是异。伤害他人，破坏环境，就是伤害自己。我们没有理由剥夺他人的生命，没有理由不让其他人或动物生活在地球上。佛教戒律主张不杀生，其目的在于弘扬慈悲，但是理论依据却在于把生命看成一个整体。它要求每个人学会自律和反省，没有任何强制性，完全基于对生命本身的尊重。佛教一贯反对暴力、战争，其根源就在于它深刻的人生观和宇宙观。
４、行报恩而恒顺众生
大乘佛法教导佛弟子应践行菩萨道、报答四重恩，而报恩的对象广摄父母、师长、国家、社会乃至全人类。知恩报恩乃是佛弟子不容推诿的社会责任。菩萨道所指向的六度四摄，要求我们在深入众生、利乐众生中净化自己，在祥和社会中展现自身的价值。我们要以佛法教义协助世间法律，以最彻底的感恩报恩之心来面对每一个人，潜移默化地净化社会大众的心灵，从而共同创造社会祥和、世界和美、人民幸福的新生活。
５、无相欺而融合世界
释迦牟尼佛是倡导世界和平的使者。“战胜增怨敌，战败卧不安，胜败两俱舍，卧觉寂静乐”，是佛陀热爱和平、反对战争的圣训。人人渴望和平，世界需要和平，但和平不可能从天而降。真正的和平应该建立在慈悲、智慧、平等、无我的磐石上，面对经济全球化的浪潮，不倚强凌弱、以大欺小；面对时有发生的纷争与冲突，不以武力对抗，而应通过对话代替对抗，交流代替冲突的方式，维护世界的和平。
６、聚善缘而构建和谐
“和谐世界，从心开始”，“从心开始”的世界，不可或缺的是善良、道德、真诚、仁爱等无数积极、健康、向上的善缘。缔造和谐文明的世界不是某个人、某个家庭、某个民族、某个国家的事情，而是全世界、全人类的共同事业。一切都要靠我们自己，从身边的善事做起，从善行的感化中令他人感动做起，哪怕是一句关心的话语、一份微薄的施舍、一次善意的救助、一点爱心的支持，都会汇集成一条通向世界和谐的阳光大道。
佛教思想对于维护生态平衡、保护地球环境的意义，已经越来越为社会有识之士所倡导和弘扬。佛教重在人类解脱的精神境界，从直面人生现实的缺陷着手，透过现实的迷雾，探索心灵的脉络，最终体悟世界的真如妙理，拯救众生，改善社会，圆满人生。人类只有从心灵深处根植爱的种子，才能有春华秋实。“我们只有认真了解了天空，才能扎根于大地。我们只有认真了解了地球，才能使生命扎根于地球。我们只有认真了解了生命，才能扎根于生命。”同理，我们只有了解了生命，才能培育出爱心，只有拥有了爱心，才能热爱生命，才能不伤害任何生命。如果我们对包括自身在内的一切生命个体都保持平等和爱恋，无缘大慈，同体大悲，那么，世界将会变得更加美好。
在新世纪的曙光里，让我们打破愚昧、迷茫，消除自私、卑劣，追求平等、博爱，用深邃的智慧、高尚的人格、文明的生活，创建并维护美好的生命网络，让每一个生灵都生存在至爱的蓝天下、明媚的春光里。
Spiritual environment protection and the harmonious society
Ven. Juexing
To highlight the theme of the 2nd World Buddhist Forum, “A harmonious world, a synergy of conditions”, is the way to resolve the different contradictions and conflicts in the world. It is the theme that represents the main trends of the contemporary society. The harmonious world could not be built up without a consciousness from the bottom of mind. The harmonious world should be sustained by protected spiritual environment.
一、The harmonious world should be sustained by protected spiritual environment
The result caused by the industrial economy and knowledge economy, has made a profound influence on the contradictions inherited in the human beings. We can divide the contradictions into three categories: contradiction between human and their ego, contradiction between people and the society, contradiction between human beings and the natural world. All the contradictions are caused by interests, the different regulation systems and the abused conceptions. How to adopt the correct relation between the spiritual life and the material life, interests between individuals and collective, relation between nations, relation between human and nature, and the different relations between nations, areas, cultures and values in different places, and, how to adjust the notions of people to relive or resolve the serious contradictions, are the most urgent problems we have to face.
Buddhism advocates the harmony of the society. A harmonious society should be based on people’s mind, a peaceful and kindness mind.
1、A harmonious society needs a peaceful relation between the human beings and the nature. The development of the human society relies on the nature. And the action taken by human beings affects the nature also. Human beings and the nature have the mutual relation, one can not survive without the other. But the relation has been damaged by the rapidly developed contemporary science and technology. The theory of Buddhist dependent origination has showed us that human will pay for all by themselves if they do not pay attention to the relation between human beings and the nature. And now, they have deserved what they have done to the nature with endless needs. The disharmony between human and the nature are derived from the greed mind of our human beings.
2、 A harmonious society needs a peaceful relation between different kinds of individuals in the world. A harmonious society is a kind of society that interests of different groups could be arranged suitably. All persons have the equal rights and abilities to gain the interests. Man should learn how to help others in need, know how to handle the difficult situation with others, know how to give respect to others and know how to trust others, etc. The peaceful relationship between different persons is the key point for a harmonious society. The notion advocated by Buddhism, boundless compassion and uncontainable pity, is the best method to set up a harmonious relation between persons.
3、A harmonious society needs a synergy of conditions. Nowadays, there are many different contradictions and conflicts in the world should be resolved as the support conditions for harmonious society. To keep the equality and dignity of the society, to maintain the peaceful relation between different races are also the conditions for a harmonious society. Everyone has his own rights in personality, faith and languages. It is necessary for constructing a harmonious society to pay attention on hot issues in different areas and resolve the conflicts between them.
二、 Buddhist environment protection begins in minds
The main topic in Buddhism is the theory about mind. It has its different diversity forms in India, China and the area of Tibet. From the main topic, Buddhism develops its whole academic system to preach his disciples to practice Buddhism, to teach its disciples maintain the universal regulations of the society, to protect the harmony atmosphere in the world. On the topic of environment protection, the Buddhism thinks it is also derived from the purified mind.
1、The conception of Buddhist environment protection begins from the mind of “oneness of life and its environment”
Based on the conception of endlessness time and space, Buddhism gives its opinion on the universe, oneness of life and its environment. The two different parts, life and its environment, are not contradictory. One can not exist without the other. The environment exists for the life to live, and lives live only in the environment. We can treat them as two separate objects in our recognition theories, but we can not get the correct understanding when we deal with one and ignore the other. The definition of any one of them should be changed with the change of the other. So, the conception of “oneness of life and its environment” in Buddhism is a truth. Based on the truth, Buddhism explores the origination of life and its developing progress, it find the basic doctrine on the origination of the life--dependent origination.
2、 The conception of Buddhist environment protection starts from the mind of “all beings are equality”.
Buddhism thinks all the beings, even like the plants, are equality. They respect the superiority of human beings, and they also thinks the other beings like plants, animals, etc. should be given the same opportunities for their lives. As the conception of dependent origination tells us, human beings should be the kindness protector to other beings. They should love animals and protect plants. If the Buddhist conception of equality could be accepted by human being, it could play profound influence on sustaining the balance of the bio environment in the world.
3、The conception of Buddhist environment protection starts from the karma mind
Having known thoroughly about the phenomena and regulations of the world, Buddhism analyses the cause and effect in depth and accurately with the law of universal relations. It dedicates the motivation of good or evil actions to human’s mind. Single mind brings individual’s action, good or evil. So, it is important for one to purify his mind. But it is not enough, Buddhism encourages the whole human beings should have purified mind to do more good thing to the world. For, if one concentrates on his interests, it could not bring the progress of the society. Buddhism takes it as its supreme ideal that to save all the beings in the world with its boundless compassion. It is think that to teach human beings to practice boundless compassion and great pity for the world is the responsibility of Buddhism.
4、The conception of Buddhist environment protection starts from the pity mind of mutual-relation.
Human beings, no matter in ancient or in modern society, are all the products of the nature world. They have to practice the action obey the law of the nature. Any cultivated society can not stand without the basic and sustained live-supported system. Any change of the system will break the balance of the nature. Just like the Buddhism tells us: what goes around comes around. Compassion and pity is the basic doctrine in Buddhism. Only on this basic doctrine could human build up an intergrowth and Co-prosperity society. Carrying the compassion in his language, facial, sound when we teach the Buddhist preaching. Making the whole society full filled with compassion and pity. Only by this way could we build up the solid and sustaining base for the harmonious society.
三、It is important to practice when we talk about the spiritual environment protection
In Buddhism, the moral regulation of benefiting others, the action style of compassion and pity to others, the law of action-done as the nature allowance, the saving life style, the simple and easy meted spiritual state, the wisdom of harmonious relation with the nature, are all valuable conceptions for us to protect the ecology environment and to build up the harmonious society. But, how to carry these notions into practice, is a big issue we should deal with carefully. On my opinion, the practice of Buddhist spiritual environment protection could be discussed in six aspects, just like follows:
1、With the same mind to evaluate different things according to the Buddhist conception of dependent origination.
In Buddhist theories, the whole world, each elements consisted in the world are combined with others. They have mutual relation with each other directly or indirectly. One can not survive without the support of other elements. It is the first law Buddhism taught us. In ultimately, the nature of every thing and phenomena are the same, there are no difference between them. They are all the un-ignored part of the world. The ultimate nature of them has been covered by its different appearance. Everything in the world has its own characters that could lead it to the suitable position in the world. We man should realize it and do as the Buddha taught us. We should live in the same world with the effort to support each other.
2、Be in a serenity mind without selfness
According to Buddhism, it is said that the five skandhas are the essential elements of live. All lives are made of with the five skandhas. Laypersons do not know the nature of life. They want to find some reality self in their life, which is impossible. All problems arisen from this idea. All people are puzzled in his belief of reality selfness. For one’s selfness, single person might fight with other person, races or countries might fight with other races or countries. All problems in contemporary world are derived from the unreality selfness. We have to change the conception that one having a reality selfness. Lives have no selfness. All lives are combined with the five skandhas. Only when we realize this can we get a harmonious society.
3、To benefit others with Buddhist compassion
With a compassion mind, one could feel happy. To give compassion and pity to others could help them to relive their pains. The Buddhist boundless compassion asks the disciples to give their compassion to others without any rewards. In Buddhism, all beings in the world have the same Buddhist nature. One can not hurt the other. One has no rights to kill others. We can not deprive the living right of animals or plants. If we destroyed them, we are just like do suicide. Buddhism tells us not to kill. No killing is one of the important sila in Buddhism. The reason why Buddhism advocates no killing is to let people know that all beings have the same right in living, and we all should be compassion to other beings. So, Buddhism objects any kind of wars.
4、To give thanks and keep the harmony relation with other person
The Mahayana Buddhism teaches their disciples to practice the activities like Buddha. Giving thanks to their parents, teachers and tutors, their nations, the society and the whole human beings. Thanksgiving is the obligation and responsibility of Buddhist disciples. The teaching of the four Amicable Qualities and six Perfections in Buddhism ask the disciples to purify their mind and highlight the Buddhist values in the mundane society. We should use the Buddhist doctrines to help the laws in the society, use the Buddhist thanksgiving to treat everyone in the world, purify the minds and their thoughts in the world. By this way, we could build up a harmonious society with auspiciousness and happiness.
5、No lying and to be coincident with the world
Buddha Sakhyamuni is an advocate of a peaceful world. His saying—Your beat will reinforce the hostile attitude of your opponents, your being beat will make your unsuitable of yourself; if one leave from the situation of beat or be beat will lead a peaceful lift, is the motto of Buddha to support peace and against wars. Everyone hope the world could be in peaceful statue and the world needs peace, but, a peace world can not give us without our efforts. The true peace must be based on the human beings’ compassion, wisdom, equality and non-selfness. In the contemporary situation of globalization in finance, the bigger and stronger could not bully the smaller and weakness. In order to maintain a peaceful world, we should use interaction and dialogue instead of compaign.
6、To cultivate kindness mind and build up a harmonious society.
“A harmonious world Begins in the mind”. In a “begins in the mind” world, it is necessary for having the characteristics like kindness, moral, loyalty and other healthy and positive characteristics. To build up a civilization and harmonious world is not the responsibility only for single one person, single one family, single one race and single one nation, but for the whole world, the whole human beings. We should start from the little things around us, like once a time kindness help, a warm-hearted encouragement word, a small help giving, all these can act as the pavement lead to a harmonious world.
The Buddhist theories are gradually affirmed by the society in the ecology environment and global protection. The Buddhist theories focus on the liberation in mind. Practicing it doctrines in the mundane surroundings could find the ultimate reality truth in the world. After having such knowledge, we could save ourselves and save the world. Only when we plant the seeds in mind could we get the fruits after then. Just like the sayings—all good results come from the diligent efforts. So, after knowing thoroughly about the meaning of life, we could cultivate a kindness mind, with which we will never hurt any other beings. If we all had the Buddhist boundless compassion, the world will become better and better.
In the new era, let’s get rid of fatuity and the puzzled mind, demolish selfness and unhealthy mind, and full fill us with equality conception and boundless compassion. We should build up a beautiful and harmonious world with the profound Buddhist wisdom, the civilization life style and the gracious personality, and to guarantee all the beings live in a life with endless love.
