A Lesson of Ethics and Peace

Nowadays our world is already rife with a variety of polarizations, and they not only exists within an individual's life but can also be found between people and people, countries and countries, and even all things in the universe. The polarizations have resulted in ethical disorder in our modern society. Traditional articles of faith in classical Confucian ideal which include benevolence, justice, etiquette, wisdom, and honor are all gone. The Five Cardinal Human Relations of moral principles as that between the ruler and the ruled, that between parents and children, between siblings, between husband and wife, and between friends have died out as well. In this post-modern world in which “everything is possible,” it has made the harmoniously ethical relations without antagonism seem to be not possible.  In Buddha Dharma there is a complete method to practice moral teachings. It leads us on the way to the harmonious and peaceful ethical relations. As a result, it contributes to initial peace at heart; and further, it brings concrete and true peace to whole life. For instance, Five Precepts for laypeople in Buddha Dharma are no killing, no stealing, no sexual misconduct, no lying, and no intoxicants, and these precepts correspond to the golden commandment in ethics of “do not do to others what you don't want to be done to you.”  What is more, Buddha Dharma has a holistic view encompassing all life when looking at the matter of good and evil in ethics.  I practice and appreciate concentration in meditation myself, and with that I established monasteries, meditation and retreat centers, the Museum of World Religions, and orphanages. Moreover, I am involved in several actions to provide relief to the victims of disasters, and I attended a variety of meetings for inter-religious dialogue.  All I have done that mentioned above were on the basis of the spirit in Buddha Dharma as “having great compassion for those without causal connection, and empathizing with all sentient beings with great pity.” For this reason, I give service and devoted myself to every life.  It is the training of meditation in Buddha Dharma that enables us to be in a state of free and balanced body and mind, in the meanwhile, it makes the connection between two individuals come to perfection. The practicing of compassion and wisdom which is the essence of meditation provides all sentient beings a way to acquire “peace in mind.” Only when the peace in mind is accomplished, the polarization between all beings could be eliminated, and the ethical relations between people and people could go back to the right track . After that, we could expect a dream world in true peace and prosperity. http://www.093ljm.org