ENG version

記得一九九二年十二月，我在香港紅磡體育館主持了三天的佛學講座，從無數觀眾的眼睛裡，我看到了大家對佛法的熱烈渴求，不禁讓我想到，佛教究竟需要些什麼？當然，這也是佛光會員都需要做到的︰

(一) 佛光會員需要團結︰記得幼年時，我曾聽大醒法師說過這麼一句話︰「佛教只要有十個出家人團結起來，就會有辦法了！」現在，佛教的興隆不但寄望十個出家人團結，更需要全球佛光人團結在一起。我們的佛光會員不但要和個別的出家眾團結，也要和出家眾的各宗各派團結；不但要促進顯密佛教間的團結，也要促進南北傳佛教間的團結，佛光會員要和所有的佛教僧眾團結在一起。

從前，佛教太分散了，因此無法將力量凝聚起來，現在我們要在一個佛陀的信仰之下，在一個佛光的照耀之下，統一步伐、集中力量。佛光會員應該團結起來護持三寶，團結起來興隆佛教，團結起來創辦佛教事業，團結起來宣揚佛法妙諦。

我們不但要自我健全，更要讓佛教團結起來，靠團結來奮鬥，靠團結來展現力量，靠團結來建設淨土。唯有團結，佛教才有璀燦的前途！

(二) 佛光會員需要統一︰目前，佛教沒有比「統一」更重要的事了。佛教的僧裝五顏六色，佛教的稱呼各種不一，佛教的禮儀任意編造。過去中國禪宗儘管有五家七宗，但是鐘板號令都有統一的制度；儘管各有清規戒律，但是各宗各派都有統一的宗風。由於統一，禪宗在隋唐時代得以大放異彩！所以我們今後佛教印刷發行的經書應該統一，早晚課誦的內容應該統一，喜喪婚慶的儀式應該統一，寺院建築的式樣應該統一，禪淨懺儀的軌則應該統一，殿堂供奉的本尊應該統一，稱謂頭銜的禮貌應該統一，僧侶層次的資格應該統一，甚至信徒家庭佛堂的布置應該統一，在家信徒修持的章則也應該統一。

我們佛光會員要在一個教主佛陀的感召之下統一、在一個人間佛教的信仰之下統一、在一個佛光會的理念之下統一、在一個慈悲喜捨的原則之下統一。佛教能夠統一，就有辦法。

(三) 佛光會員需要動員︰在一九九二年十月分的《佛光世紀》中，我曾說過︰「佛光會的發展要靠活動的加強，因為有活動才有生氣，有活動才有力量。」雖然全球的佛光會成立至今未及三年，但是由於大家能通力合作，動員自己的發心、動員家庭的力量、動員社會的資源、動員十方的因緣，舉辦了捐血救人、親子教育、環保掃街、朝山參學等等活動，不但贏得社會大眾的認同，也贏得各國政府的肯定。

今後我們佛光會員應該更進一步，動員起來研究佛法，考取檀講師、檀教師和檀導師；動員起來加強修持；動員起來參與公益活動；動員起來護持三寶；動員起來參訪聯誼。我們要動員佛化家庭，動員佛化社會，動員發展佛光會務，乃至動員共創佛光淨土。

(四) 佛光會員需要融和︰在一九九二年五月國際佛光會世界總會成立大會暨第一屆會員代表大會中，我們揭櫫「歡喜與融和」為大會主題，目的在藉此呼籲所有會員以歡喜來自利利他、共存共榮，尤其還要注重融和︰我們要用融和團結佛教的力量，用融和統一佛教的儀制，用融和動員佛教的僧俗，用融和將歡喜遍滿人間。

融和，實在是太重要了。我們的家庭成員需要融和、社會群我需要融和、士農工商需要融和、黃紅黑白民族需要融和，儘管我們的性情、習俗、職業、人種、膚色都有所不同，但是我們的信仰、目標都是融和一致的，我們應該不分種族、國家，彼此尊重融和。

所以，我希望大家今後要以融和的雅量，尊重教界長老；以融和的雅量，尊重佛門各派；以融和的雅量，尊重異己他人；以融和的雅量，尊重全球人類。唯其如此，佛教才有希望，世界才能有美好的未來！

我們要時時以團結、統一、動員、融和互相勉勵，讓我們共同攜手努力，邁步向前，將佛法的種子遍灑世間，以期不久的將來，全球五大洲到處都能盛開美麗芬芳的花朵，結出豐碩纍纍的果實。

The Needs of BLIA Members

I remember looking out into the eyes of thousands of people once when I was preaching in Hong Kong. The year was 1992, and we were gathered in the Hong Kong Coliseum. As I looked at all those eyes,   I felt as if I could actually see the inner longing that had motivated each and every person in that building to come to hear the Dharma that night. Later, as I reflected on that experience, I thought of all the members of the BLIA and what their needs must be. In the following section, I will discuss this topic in some detail.

Members of the BLIA need community 

I remember when I was a boy, once I went up to Master Daxing and said to him, “All Buddhism needs to be successful is to have ten monastics who are united!”

Now that I am older, I realize that in addition to the ten monastics, Buddhism also needs to have dedicated lay followers if it is to flourish. In earlier passages, we have discussed at some length the need for unity among Buddhists and the ways that unity can benefit Buddhism. In this passage, I would like to turn the subject around and look at how individual Buddhists themselves can be benefited by unity.

Unity is a two-way street. Unity makes an organization strong, but it also makes the individuals within an organization strong. When we ask people to contribute time and energy to the unity of the BLIA, we must also be sure that they receive ample spiritual benefits in their own lives as compensation for their efforts. Each member of the BLIA should be able to draw on the BLIA for emotional and spiritual support in the same way that the members of a family draw on each other for support. This does not mean that our generosity has strings attached to it. It means only that at some levels we fully recognize that energy always flows two ways. As a member of the BLIA, you have a respon- sibility to contribute to the BLIA, but you also have a right to take something from it. You have a right to expect other members to be helpful and honest. And you have a right to expect that your needs for community and unity will be met to the same extent that you are willing to meet others’ needs.

Whenever we build community, we must be certain that all members receive the benefit of unity. A community is not a community without a fair distribution of benefit, and no one will stay n a community for long if they receive nothing from it. It is our job as members of the BLIA to see that other people’s needs are met, but it is also our responsibility to see that our own needs are satisfied. If there are issues you feel are not being discussed, bring them up. If you have talents that you feel are not being used, offer them. Whenever we think of our own needs, it is important that we not become self-centered. However, it is worth remembering, too, that all ideas start with someone and that even the longest journey must begin with a single step.

Buddhism in the past has suffered more than once from division and doctrinaire separations. As we seek to meet our own needs within the BLIA, we must also be sure that our actions do not create division. All of us are Buddhists. All of us are united under the name and example of Sakyamuni Buddha. By working together to build the best organization we are capable of, each one of us will succeed in deriving benefit from the BLIA as we contribute to it.

Community transcends the individual, and by doing that, it also fulfills the individual in the most complete way possible. Community, by definition, is an ongoing interaction of the self with others. It is important that all of us be aware of the deep emotions that produce community, and that all of us be considerate of those emotions as they are manifest in ourselves and in others.

We must be united

There is nothing more important for Buddhism today than unity. All over the world there are schools and branches of Buddhism. This diversity is good, but over and above our divisions, Buddhists every- where must recognize our central unity. When we recognize the truth of, as well as the need for, unity among the world’s Buddhists, each one of us begins to benefit in subtle, but very powerful ways.

Unity among us required that all of us have open minds. It requires that all of us practice compassion among the very people who are closest to us. Unity challenges us to find common ground with others, as it forces us to expand our thinking beyond its habitual constraints.

Whenever Buddhists in history have been  united,  Buddhism has flourished. Chan became a great school during the Tang dynasty because Chan Buddhists were united at that time. Unity does not mean that each and every person must think alike. Unity means only that each and every person agree to be a positive and harmonious member of a larger group.

Buddhism has always been an immensely tolerant religion. For Buddhists to unite today, there is no need for us to hammer out dogmas or plaster over our differences. All that is needed is that we agree to emphasize our similarities as we do our best to work together.

Remember, the Buddhism we cherish today is here only because Buddhists in the past kept the tradition vibrant and alive. If their contri- butions had been fractious and divisive, or if they had been rigid in their thinking, Buddhism would never have become a part of so many of the world’s cultures; and we would not have today the expansive libraries of Buddhist literature that exist in so many languages.

Unity asks that we give of ourselves, but it also challenges us to find the best in ourselves. By working for unity in the BLIA, and with other Buddhists, we ensure that our contributions to our religion will be received by later generations with fully as much gratitude as we now receive the contributions made by Buddhists of the past.

We must be active

For years, I have been preaching the value of activity. Buddhists sometimes tend to become passive and too reserved in their practice. Passivity not only has a dampening effect on the growth of Buddhism as a whole, it also stifles the growth of the individual. When we become inactive, we tend to stop challenging ourselves. We discover a low level of comfort in meditation and reading and decide for ourselves that is all we need. When we get to that point, we will be of small benefit to our temple and of little use even to ourselves.

When once we decide to become active in our practice, however, many avenues of growth immediately begin to open before us. Active participation requires maturity and open-mindedness. It requires that we practice compassion daily and that we employ our wisdom in many different kinds of situations.

Activity produces energy. It makes us strong, and it encourages us to be positive and cooperative with everyone. When our willingness to be active members of the BLIA is joined with the willingness of other members, wondrous energies are released. Our chapters will benefit immediately from our enthusiasm, just as each one of us who participates actively will feel a new source of fulfillment and contentment in life.

Remember, the bodhi mind is not a thing, and it is certainly not  a rocking chair. The bodhi mind, as it is manifest in us, is our very desire to learn and grow and participate. When we actively accept these magnificent energies, our family lives are improved and our professional lives are elevated. Positive activity alone has the power to bring our practice of Buddhism very close to its ultimate fulfillment. You will feel the difference.

How you choose to be active is up to you. The BLIA provides many opportunities for all of us to be active in ways that suit us best. If you have an idea that is not being implemented, it may be that all the idea lacks is your energy. You do not have to wait for others to approve of everything you want to do. If you believe in your idea, and if it is harmonious with the ideals of the BLIA, there will be room for it somewhere. The BLIA needs people who are willing to take the initiative.

There is so much for us to do! We need to study and learn. We need to teach and help others. We need to uphold the precepts, as we deepen the original energy that made us take refuge in Buddhism in the first place. If we start with ourselves, and then begin to include those who are near us, we will ultimately succeed in changing this world for the better. The only obstacles between us and a Pure Land are negative energies and the defilement of not trying.

We need to be accepting

In May 1992, at the first convention of the BLIA, I chose the theme of “Joy and Acceptance.” I chose this theme because I wanted to encourage members of the BLIA to serve the world with an attitude of joy and acceptance. Acceptance is a great virtue, and it is a great strength. When we are accepting of others, our ability to unite and form a lasting, solid community is much enhanced. Lay followers need to learn to accept the ways of monastics, whose lives are very different from most people’s. And monastics need to accept, also, that lay followers have to live in a world whose demands are different from theirs. All of us must accept each other. Acceptance is a first step. From there, we can begin to practice compassion, tolerance, wisdom and patience.

When we are accepting of the styles and ways that people choose to live, we open ourselves to seeing everyone in a way that is much deeper than any other. Automatic habits of criticism and judgment belong among the defilements of greed, ignorance and anger. They are not motivated by anything else. Our goal is to preach the Dharma all over the world. Can we possibly succeed in this if we are narrow-mind- ed and quick to reject new ideas?

Acceptance is not something that is only to be practiced in international situations when our environment has primed us to be open-minded. Acceptance also must be practiced at home. It must be practiced with our families and friends, and with the other members of our BLIA chapter. We need to be accepting of big things, but sometimes it is even more important to be accepting of small things. Life is full of small differences. People react differently to the same situation. Some people are sensitive, and others are not. All of us have different habits and professions. Some people are very precise, while others naturally tend to see large generalities. We need to accept that this is true. This is the way life is. If we choose to be friends only with people who look and think the way we do, we reduce ourselves and diminish our opportunities to grow and learn.

Deep down all people want the same things. No one who has ever glimpsed the bodhi mind could ever want to pursue anything else.  All of us in the BLIA have seen the reality of the bodhi mind and the profundity of Prajna wisdom. We would not have become Buddhists if we had not. In this very significant sense, we all are the same, and we all have the same basic belief. Once we have recognized this, accep- tance of others can only flow naturally.

Acceptance is best practiced by practicing it. If you find yourself turning away from someone just because of something they have said or the way they look, ask yourself if your reaction is stemming from wise acceptance or from something else. The Buddha taught 84,000 ways of reaching the truth. Do you think he ever turned away from anyone?

Respect, tolerance, patience and acceptance all go hand in hand.

You cannot really have one without the others.