Since that time, Confucianism has been the most popular teaching in China. Over the past 2000 years

Since that time, Confucianism has been the most popular teaching in China. Over the past 2000 years, there have been many dynasties in China; but although the government changed, the educational policy remained the same, even during the Mongolian and Manchu invasions.

In 67 AD, during the Han dynasty under Emperor Ming, Buddhism was formally introduced into China. Thus, since ancient times there have been three major teachings to guide the Chinese people. As Buddhists would say, “The Chinese people possess excellent roots of goodness.” For millennia, the Chinese have sought peace. In the early dynasties, China never invaded any country because they were well educated in and accepted the teachings of sages and virtuous people. China cared for others and governed by virtue and not by force.

In ancient times, emperors in every dynasty nurtured and ruled with virtue. Neighboring countries respected and thus willingly followed the guidance of China. They showed their respect by making offerings and sending it gifts. This esteem was returned many times over for we see that China respected smaller countries and treated them well. 

In the past, China governed by the ancient teachings and not by force, but over the past one hundred and fifty years, the Chinese have gradually turned away from the ancient virtuous teachings. As their afflictions and bad habits surfaced, their selfishness, greed, anger, ignorance, and arrogance corrupted social values. Thus, when they encountered the guns and cannons of the invading westerners, the country was almost torn apart and has continued to suffer the results ever since. In the face of this erosion, the Chinese people started to doubt their own culture and moral values.

They have not been alone. People around the world need to return to traditional values and strive to attain peace. How do we attain peace? Through education. The most important education is that of the family as it is the basis of all education. When a family loses it sense of unity, it affects the stability of society because families are the foundation of society and the core of a family is the husband and wife. When spouses do not get along, society will not be peaceful. This is why Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism emphasize family education.

The principle teaching in Buddhism is to practice filial piety and respect; we are to be filial to our parents, respectful to teachers and elders, compassionate and not kill any living beings, and practice the Ten Virtuous Conducts. The essential teaching of the Ten Virtuous Conducts Sutra is comprised of these four principles.

Confucianism stresses the Five Human Relationships including those between husbands and wives, parents and children, siblings, friends, political leaders and the public and the Eight Virtues of loyalty, filial piety, kindness, compassion, trustworthiness, justice, harmony, and equality.

Whether it is Confucianism, Buddhism, or Taoism, the teachings primarily begin in the family. If family education is lost, then no other teachings will be able to help us reach peace and stability. The family is the foundation of society like the ground level is the foundation of a four-story building. Without the first level, the other levels cannot be built.

Formal education is the second level, social education is the third level, and religious education the fourth level. Religious education is the education of spirituality. The main objective is to help sentient beings transcend from ordinary beings to sages. Religious teachings show us how to broaden our compassion and lovingkindness until we care for all sentient beings in the universe. When all four educations are taught, the world will attain eternal peace and stability, living beings will mutually respect and care for each other in unity, and we will coexist in peace and harmony. However, without these four educational foundations, peace and stability will be mere hollow words.

In the world today, traditional education by the family rarely exists; thus, the vast majority of children no longer listen to their parents. Quality education in schools is rare to find; most students ignore their teachers.

As to the education that society largely provides, what do we learn from our daily contact with newspapers, magazines, television, and movies? How to kill, steal, commit sexual misconduct, and lie. Religious education has also greatly changed as most emphasize ceremonial rites; so religious education has also largely vanished. Even if we can read religious texts, we barely understand the principles within them. No wonder we cannot practice their teachings in our daily lives.

When the four kinds of education are so rare, how can the world not be in chaos! Today, there are people who want to save this world, but without these four kinds of education how can they achieve that? Do we need a new religion? No. The religions passed down since ancient times are rich in content. If we can practice only a small percentage of their teachings, the world will exist in peace and hope.

There is no need for new religions, for they would be meaningless and would only serve to increase confusion in the world. We must understand this. In the past, the world recognized six main religions. In Singapore, nine main religions have excellent sacred texts and teachings. We need to use lovingkindness and profound understanding to bring together and harmoniously unite all these teachings.

Today, they are separate, but all originate from the same basis, the same principles of sincerity, purity, equality, and compassion. If we can accomplish harmonious unification and earnestly learn these teachings, we can widely propagate them to help society, save the world from conflicts, establish world peace and bring happiness to all. We must solve these crucial problems now.

In the 1970s, Professor Arnold Toynbee said: “Only the teachings of Confucius, Mencius and Mahayana Buddhism will be able to solve the problems of the 21^st century.” What he said is reasonable because these teachings are specific and complete and are thus, worthy of our study and propagation.

THE FOUNDATION OF ALL RELIGIONS:

COMPASSION AND LOVINGKINDNESS

1 January 2001

Your Excellency, the Prime Minister of Singapore, Mr. Goh Chok Tong and Mrs. Goh, honored Ambassadors, representatives of the Inter-Religious Organization, religious representatives from Singapore and abroad, guests and friends. Everyone is a great Bodhisattva, a messenger of God, and an utmost virtuous person.

We are here tonight to celebrate our march toward the new century and a new year. As each year begins, everything changes from old to new. This first day of the new Millennium is very rare, occurring only once in a thousand years.

We would like to thank the Singapore Buddhist Lodge and the Jamiyah Centre in initiating this Cross-Century Charity Dinner and uniting the nine religions of Singapore in a prayer for world peace. We extend a warm welcome to our important guests, over five thousand senior citizens and children of different religions and races from Homes for the Aged and from Children’s Homes. The elderly have dedicated themselves to building the nation and society, and have contributed to the sparkling success of Singapore. We wish to show our respect and care for them, and hope that this will serve to remind future generations to always appreciate and repay with kindness the efforts of the seniors.

Here in Singapore, people of different racial and cultural backgrounds have fostered harmonious relationships. Due to mutual respect, clergies of the nine religions here work well together. We believe such harmony and respect are rare. I believe there are two basic reasons for this: the wise guidance of the Singaporean government, and its advocation of both secular and religious education.

The ancient sages said: “Education is essential in building a country and governing its people.” The basis for a happy family, a prosperous society, a stable nation, racial harmony, and world peace is education, of which there are four types. The first is family education as found in Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. Second is formal education. In ancient China, this was based on the teachings of Confucius and Mencius.

Third is social education, which in the past was taught through the arts. When Confucius traveled to different states, he collected popular folk songs from various areas and ethnic groups. Later, he edited these excellent songs and compiled them into Book of Songs. In Analects, Confucius wrote: “The content of the three hundred poems in Book of Songs is to teach people to nurture a pure honest mind.” This is the ultimate guideline for social education. Its goal is to attain happiness, harmony, and a prosperous society.

From times past through the present, we see that social education can encompass many areas, from drama, dance and books to newspapers, movies, TV, and the Internet. We hope these will teach people to nurture a pure honest mind.

The last type is religious education and it is the highest level of human education. Unfortunately, today religious education all too often emphasizes the appearance and thus can border on superstition. These four types of education are rare today. Our minds and spirits have nothing to return to or rely upon. The questions on the meaning and value of life, spiritual refuge, and the resultant confusion have become serious problems for modern society.

High technology and economics cannot bring happiness and peace to all beings but only serve to increase greed and desires. Consequently, our living environment has become polluted and our natural ecology is being destroyed. Natural resources are being depleted and illegal drugs are everywhere. People have forgotten moral values and are only concerned with self-benefit. The shocking increases in juvenile delinquency, wars, and continuous conflicts make our world increasingly chaotic. Why? Because we have neglected humanity and moral education. These problems cannot be solved by politics, physical force, economics, or technology.

We know that there are four main cultural systems in our world: Confucianism, Islam, Hinduism, and Christianity. These cultural systems are the foundation for most people. We understand that only Buddhist and religious education, in other words the teaching of multiculturalism, can revive the teachings of humanity and morality, and propagate the education of love.

 The Buddha said: “All sentient beings have the same wisdom and abilities as those of the Buddha.” We read in the Mahayana sutras that broadminded care for all beings encompasses the whole universe. The Buddha explained: “There are no boundaries within the pure mind.”

I often use a tree as an example. Different religions and ethnic groups can be seen as the twigs, branches, leaves, and flowers of the tree. They all stem from the same root. They are actually one entity. Only with this understanding, can we live in peace, have mutual respect, and work harmoniously with people of different nations, religions, and ethnicities.

The core of Buddhism is sincerity, purity, equality, proper understanding, and compassion. These qualities are not only the essence of Buddhism but are at the heart of all religious teachings as well. God loves all beings; Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have great compassion. Who are the Holy Being, God, Buddhas, and Bodhisattvas? They are these five virtues of sincerity, purity, equality, proper understanding, and compassion, the innate virtues of the True Nature. Anything that is done from the True Nature is done with non-differentiating compassion and lovingkindness, care for all inanimate and animate beings regardless of nationality, ethnicity or religious beliefs. Through sincere communication and the exchange of ideas with various religions, we have found a common ground: compassion and lovingkindness.   

Over the years, we have earnestly worked with different religions, and hope that all religious leaders can help and guide all beings with their teachings. With thorough understanding of Buddhism and religious teachings we would do well to apply these teachings daily when interacting with others and situations. Our every rising thought is to benefit society, to remember the kindness of others and to repay them with gratitude. Also, we are to set good examples for society.