Sustaining Peace and Development Role of Interfaith and

Sustaining Peace and Development Role of Interfaith and Intercultural Dialogue

Sustaining Peace Through Dialogue Ven Chueh Shan Fo Guang Shan Chung Tian Temple

“No World Peace without peace between the religions. No peace between the religions withoutdialogue between the believers of different religious traditions” - Hans Kung at Declaration of World Parliament of Religion 1990’s

Dialogue Achieving Interfaith Understanding • Openness toward interfaith cultural identity • Intercultural and interfaith dialogue through education • Interfaith dialogue to foster understanding among religions • Educate people and open their minds • All-round tolerance is needed to move ahead in harmony • Respecting others just as we expect others to respect us • Respecting the differences that make each andeveryone unique

Working side by side not only helps us get to know each other better and establish friendships but also results in improving the community we share.

Technologies have been a two-edge sword. If we use them wisely, they are great servants. On the other hand, we could become slaves to them.

Conflicts arise from misunderstandings, which arise from miscommunications or lack of communications.

What is our approach as Buddhist? As the Japanese Buddhist Daisaku Ikeda stated: The Buddhist principle of dependent origination reflects a cosmology in which all human and natural phenomena come into existence within a matrix of Interrelatedness. Thus we are urged to respect the uniqueness of each existence, which supports and nourishes all within the larger, living whole.

Conflicts are parts of daily life, conflicts within oneself, conflicts among people, conflicts in families, societies and the world. In Buddhism, conflicts arise from: • desire or greed • resentment or hatred • ignorance.

The great Buddha has prescription for the morality or ethical conduct to cure desire or greed; meditation or mental discipline to cure resentment or hatred and wisdom to cure ignorance. By following Eightfold paths

Eightfold Paths Right Right Understanding Thoughts Speech Action Livelihood Effort Mindfulness Concentration

Morality Right Speech, Right Action and Right Livelihood. Meditation Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration. Wisdom Right Understanding and Right Thought.

Four Noble Truths 1 The Truth of Suffering; 2 The Arising of Suffering; 3 The Cessation of Suffering; and 4 The Path leading to the cessation of suffering

Our Buddhist Order, Foguangshan was founded about 50 years ago in Taiwan and is now an international network of over 200 branch temples. One of them is Chung Tian Temple in Brisbane, which was established in 1992. We practice and preach teachings of the Buddha with four guiding principles:

guiding principles To. Four propagate the Dharma through cultural activities; To foster talent through education; To benefit society through charitable programs; and To purify human hearts and minds through Buddhist practice.

Buddhism is an inclusive religion. We believe that different people in the world need different religions to cater for their race and culture. We also believe the need for different religions to interact to understand each other, to respect the differences and treasure the similarities.

Over the years we have embarked on inter-relations and dialogue with the leaders of different religions. Our Founding Master, Venerable Master Hsing Yun has built a good rapport with the Cardinal of Taiwan, Cardinal Shan Guo Xi (單國 璽). They regularly met and hold discussions with other faith leaders to strengthen Inter-Faith harmony.

Venerable Master Hsing Yun With the Cardinal Shan Guo Xi

Venerable Master met with His Holiness Pope John Paul II for a cross-century religious dialogue to promote inter-religious exchange and to pray for world peace.

In 1997, the Venerable Master convened with His Holiness Pope John Paul II and the Dalai Lama to exchange ideas in the quest to realize world peace. Interfaith Dialogue is about conversation

In March this year, nine female Venerables of Foguangshan participatedat the United Nation’s CSW 62 in New York. They shared the works we have done to promote education, culture, Buddhism and charities. These have been our Founding Master’s effort to promote equality, equal opportunity, harmony and peace

United Nation’s CSW 62 in New York

United Nation’s CSW 62 in New York

United Nation’s CSW 62 in New York

Every year over 10, 000 students visit the Chung Tian Temple for their religiousand cultural studies. Tertiary students studying Religions also visit the Temple to learn about Buddhism. Through education and cultural visits, the students learn about a different cultural and faith identity, thereby having a better understanding of others.

School visits

Community visits Understanding Culture and Diversity in Building better Communities

Every year we participate in various Multi-faith activities such as forums, prayers and gatherings. Encouraging mutual understandingand a common approach to moral and social issues.

2015 Multi-faith Gathering

Griffith University Harmony Day

White Ribbon Day

Since 1997, during the Buddha Birth Day Festival at South Bank Parklands, we invite Leaders from different faiths: Christian; Catholic; Muslim; Jewish; Hindu; and others to participate in a Multi-faith Forum and to promote world peace and harmony in a Light Offering Ceremony. Recently we also invite Leaders to the Chung Tian Temple to join the Multi-faith Prayer in Chinese New Year Celebration.

Multi-faith Prayer at Chung Tian Temple

Multi-faith Prayer at Buddha Birth Day Festival

No boundaries Handprints at Buddha Birth Day Festival

Multi-faith Forum at Buddha Birth Day Festival

The importance of Interfaith Dialogue asserts that it has; deeper spiritual connection; it becomes the main source of social change and peace work.

We Are Interconnected Beings Buddhism views that everything in the world is interconnected. When Buddha gained enlightenment, it was the realization that interconnectedness is the true nature of all beings. We are not only connected to other people, but to the air through our breathing and to the universe through light.

Example: A hand with five fingers. From a narrow view, we can only see one finger at a time; each of the five fingers exists independently. However, from a wider view, we can see that the five fingers are connected to each other, even though each finger is different from one another. Therefore, these interconnected relationships should be symbiotic.

The Buddha said: “Since this exists, that exists, and, since this does not exist, that does not exist. That is created because this is created, so if this disappears, that disappears. ” We are interconnected beings.

The conclusion of Buddhism is that nothing possesses its own irreducible self-nature but everything depends on something else for its existence. All things arise through the co-working of many causes and conditions. We all are interconnected!!!

In conclusion, let me pray that: May our compassion and generosity fill the universe. May we treasure and share what we have to benefit all beings. May we respect the faith and belief of everyone. May we be humble, grateful and vow to help those in need.

Thank you