On the necessity of faith: an interview with Master Xuecheng
On the necessity of faith: an interview with Master Xuecheng (学诚) (excerpt)
Nov. 11, 2011, phoenix TV
Wang Luxiang: As a Buddhist master you have for many years committed to the advocating of Buddhism and the researching into the relationship between Buddhism and the life of this world. On the one hand, our economic growth has been soaring ahead; on the other it is an undeniable fact that the moral or ethical conditions of our nation have witnessed a serious deterioration. What problems do you think still exist in the society and the mentality of our nation?
Master Xuecheng: In the past what we heard was a moral deterioration, but now what we often hear is moral crisis. And a crisis is much more serious in degree than deterioration. Then why are we experiencing a crisis? In my view, morality means inner regulation, while laws and rules are only outward regulations. Therefore, if an individual lacks the sense of moral discipline, his personal behavior might affect the order and healthy development of the whole society. Kant said: The cornerstone of morality are twofold, one is universality, the other self discipline. And there are two preconditions for the self dicipline of morality, viz, immortality of soul and existence of God. The existence of God implies social justice, and the immortality of soul implies our existence after death. The moral universality entails that we as an individual are supposed to be responsible for our actions in any time or space.
Wang Luxiang: As we know, a powerful point of view has been guiding today's world and the lives of modern Chinese, which is the Darwinist principle advocating survival of the fittest. And that principle of the strong preying on the weak, which was imported into China by the end of 19th century, has exerted a somewhat positive stimulus in wakening the Chinese people from a dormant state of submission and indifference to stand up and fight. At that time Darwinism was overtly advocated by many of those 'progressive' intellectuals in the New Culture Movement. But now as we look back on history, one hundred years of Darwinist social practices have inevitably brought untold negative values and influences into our society. Therefore, I'm wondering, may Buddhism offer relevant principles concerning human existence to offset those Darwinist assumptions?
Master Xuecheng: Buddhists believe that all living beings are equal. And living beings include not only human beings but other moral species and animals. According to Buddhism, inner retribution and external retribution are one; people and their environment are also interdependent. The proposition of survival of the fittest has swelled into a state of the jungle in today's society. Since the human-centered and self-centered notions were imported into China, our traditional ideas, which assert the fundamental unity of humanity and universe and the close correlation between our actions and the world, have gradually been shaken and faded into obscurity. Our Buddhists have always been concerned with the welfare of all living beings and the environment where humanity has to live. Ultimately our human beings cannot possibly live well and develop without our environment. And to any individual, shared happiness is always better than personal pleasures.
Wang Luxiang: As we all know, in those developed market economies in the West, the social system facilitating the market economy actually encourages every individual to strive for his own interests. But if everybody tries to maximize his own interests beyond sensible limits, nobody could exist in such a society. Therefore in order to curb the relentless expansion of self interest, an unusually complex regime of laws and regulations is set up to define the boundaries of personal behaviors. In a word, the market economy of the West was based on a legal environment. It seems to me China is yet to accomplish that objective. On the one hand we encourage people to maximize their personal interests in the market place, on the other the relevant laws and regulations haven't been able to catch up with the development of the market. The legal construction in our country still remains at a relatively low level.
Master Xuecheng: Laws can only regulate outward behaviors. One man dares to something morally forbidden if he finds no presumed evidence will prove him against the current law. But another will not do that at all if he has a sense of moral discipline. In the West, especially in the US, the number of lawyers is many times more than that in China. And an average person may not be able to afford a lawsuit. In a civilized country we need a sound system of laws and regulations, but more importantly we need a sense of inner moral discipline and a sense of cultural self-purification.
Wang Luxiang: Exactly. Moral discipline is the most cost-effective in sustaining the harmonious stability of a society.
Ven. Master Xuecheng was born in Xianyou, Fujian, China in 1966. He started his monastic life in 1982, received ordination from Ven. Master Dinghai, and then followed Ven. Master Yuanzhuo to learn Buddhism. In 1991, he graduated from the Buddhist Academy of China with a master's degree. In 2007, he was conferred an Honorary Ph. D. in Educational Administration from Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University of Thailand. In 2010, he received the "Atish Dipankar Gold Peace Award" of Bangladesh. The Venerable Master is now Member of the Standing Committee of CPPCC (Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference), Vice Chairman of All-China Youth Federation, Secretary General of the China Committee on Religion and Peace, Vice President of the Buddhist Association of China, Vice President of the Buddhist Academy of China, Vice Director of the Institute for Advanced Study of Humanities and Religion of Beijing Normal University, and Abbot of the monasteries of Guanghua (Putian, Fujian), Famen (Fufeng, Shaanxi) and Longquan (Beijing), etc.
Source from Phoenix TV (凤凰卫视)
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