寬恕與承擔

(written some two years ago)

柴玲發表公開信《我原諒他們》，说因著她的基督教信仰，原諒六四事件的主要決策人，包括鄧小平和李鵬，以及衝進天安門廣場和殺人的士兵。她說：「寬恕充滿心靈，持久和平才能到來。」

這份寬恕到底是什麽？作為一個普通人，柴玲能否寬恕別人的罪責？作為一個犯了罪的人，又能憑什麽去要求別人的寬恕？

記得大長今的一幕，當時陰毒的崔尚宮已窮途末路，自己沒有徹底反省自己的罪孽，卻要求長今寬恕她。長今堅持說：自己做過的事當然要承擔後果。

寬恕別人只能是放下對仇人的怨恨，做錯事的人仍當承擔後果。怨恨很難放下，這是人之常情。怨恨通常持續煎熬着當事人。是以寬恕其實主要是善待自己，而絕不是為罪人免責。而且寬恕更必須包含對錯事的認知。

我認同寬恕充滿心靈，持久和平才能到來。心中如果仍充满怨憤，我們是不可能理智地為中國尋找到達致持久和平的出路的。同樣，沒有寬恕，巴勒斯坦和猶太人之間就不可能消除芥蒂，中東出現持久和平只能是空想。

佛耶二教對提升心理健康和幸福的啟示

講座題目：佛耶二教對提升心理健康和幸福的啟示

日期：2013年8月31日(星期六)

時間：下午2: 30 至 4:30

地點：九龍觀塘大業街31號協發工商大廈8樓 戒定慧講堂（牛頭角地鐵站 B6 出口）

主辦機構：香港佛教心理學及心理健康協會有限公司

主講嘉賓：何濼生教授

歡迎偕友免費參加，共沾法益


Information about the speaker:
 
He has had years of exposure to Christianity from primary school through secondary school, and he actually got a credit in Biblical Knowledge in the School Certificate Examination.

He will be referring to the teachings in Christianity that are completely consistent with Buddhist teachings.  He will also refer to, in particular, the Diamond Sutra, which says

所謂佛法，即非佛法，是名佛法  (The Buddha Dharma is the same as "Not Buddha Dharma", and it is known as Buddha Dharma.

and

若以色見我，以音聲求我，是人行邪道，不能見如來 (If someone seeks me through appearance or sounds, that someone is on the wrong track and won't see me.)

both of which ask us not to be misled by labels and images.

I will refer to the distinction between 權巧方便 (aids) and 實相究竟 (reality)

Of course there is also the statement, also from the Diamond Sutra:

離一切諸相即名諸佛 (He who frees himself from all images is a Buddha.)
 

St Francis and Pope Francis

The celebrated prayer of St Francis of Assissi reads as follows: 

(1)   Lord, make me a channel of thy peace.

That where there is hatred I may bring love,

(“Love”)

(2)   That where there is wrong, I may bring the spirit of forgiveness,

That where there is discord, I may bring harmony,

That where there is error I may bring truth,

(“Insight”)

(3)   That where there is doubt I may bring faith,

That where there is despair I may bring hope,

That where there are shadows I may bring light,

That where there is sadness I may bring joy.

(“Fortitude”)

(4)   Lord, grant that I may seek rather to comfort than to be comforted,

To understand than to be understood,

To love than to be loved.

(“Engagement”)

(5)   For it is by forgetting self that one finds.

It is by forgiving that one is forgiven,

it is by dying that one awakens to eternal life.

Amen.

The prayer was divided into five parts.  The first four parts (numbered 1-4 above), respectively, related directly to Love, Insight, Fortitude, and Engagement.  The spiritual aspirant seeks love, truth, understanding, faith and hope, and prefers a life of active engagement. Active engagement is indicated as the spiritual person seeks to comfort rather than to be comforted, to understand rather than to be understood, and to love rather than to be loved.   The last, i.e., 5th part, simply states the reward of spiritual living.

 Pope Francis is a different pope.  He is much more enlightened than all the others.  He is the first to admit that even atheists can get redemption.  He is one with Jesus, whose Sermon on the Mount transcends religions.

Mental Capital and the Set Point of Happiness

I was on the Backchat program at RTHK this morning.  The host mentioned that personality might determine a person's happiness.  Very true.  However, personality is not altogether inborn and immutable.  Personality is grounded on the accumulation of experiences and mental habits.  Accumulating positive mental capital through good mental habits is the pathway to happiness. 

Because mental capital does not change overnight, so it is fairly accurate to say that in the short run it is more or less fixed and that happiness would tend to gravitate toward the "set point" after temporary deviations.  But the "set point" will rise as mental capital accumulates and as a personality favorable to the cultivation of happiness forms.

How I wish...

How I wish one day each religion needs to be registered in each country so it becomes lawful.

To register the religion has to declare it respects religious tolerance and religious freedom.

So people are free to follow the faith or to quit.

Religions and sects that do not accept the principle of religious tolerance cannot be registered and will not be allowed to recruit members or tolerated.

Tolerance works both ways.

You have to respect others, so others can respect you.

Religious Freedom and the Free Spirit

Civilized societies all espouse religious freedom.  Unfortunately for mankind, some societies do not espouse religious freedom.  Adherents of some religions persecute members of other religions, which are not allowed to take converts from their religions, or rather, their own members are not allowed to convert to other religions. 

Despite their intolerance, they are allowed to thrive in societies that respect religious freedom.  Herein lies the great dilemma for civilized societies:  should they treat them the same as other more peaceful religions, or should they discriminate against them?  To be consistent and honest, they must not discriminate.  But then they will have to accept the one-sided growth of the intolerant religions.   

Humanism versus Spirituality?

There is this debate whether humanism is a better concept than spirituality.   Here is some discussion:

http://humanisthappiness.blogspot.hk/2011/04/humanity-vs-spirituality.html?showComment=1358668715598#c7915170119206970077

I personally do not believe it is appropriate to discuss the two concepts as one against the other.  Spirituality cannot be spirituality without humanism.  Yet humanism as usually understood is not the same as spirituality.   Unless humanism is redefined to include wisdom and faith, so that the humanist gives up his narrow ego and sees life in its entirety instead of in segments, and commands courage and faith that he will not back down in the face of threats or danger, he cannot be spiritual.