Local Buddhist Master Sheng Yen (
This is the first year the forum has included religious leaders in its discussions on global economic matters. The initiative, proposed in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks on the US, is aimed at gaining insight on solving religious conflict.
PHOTO: AFP
The only Buddhist representative at the forum, the 72-year-old Sheng Yen provided suggestions and solutions for transforming the outlook of fundamentalists in a speech he delivered to participants yesterday.
Sheng Yen said that ignorance is often related to poverty and that poverty bars access to modern, pluralistic and global information.
"This may then lead to the isolation of culture and thinking, and result in discriminating against, belittling and rejecting whoever is different," Sheng Yen said.
Sheng Yen said that because of poverty, jealousy of the US and other capitalist countries can arise.
"A sense of inferiority is trans-formed into extreme arrogance, which then leads to the detesting, despising and attacking of whoever is different," he said.
Sheng Yen said that while military retaliation to such problems might have a temporary deterrent effect, it would not likely result in a lasting peace. He suggested instead that economic aid be given to poor countries in order to raise their productivity and improve their education and access to global information.
He also suggested encouraging fundamentalists to reinterpret their holy scriptures and teachings through cultural exchange so "they themselves will adjust their values."
Sheng Yen enjoys high status in Taiwan's society.
He founded the Dharma Drum Mountain religious group (
Dharma Drum engages in a variety of activities including the propagation of Buddhism and Chan meditation.
Sheng Yen was born in China's Jiangsu Province and left home to become a monk at the age of 13. During the communist revolution, he was conscripted into the Nationalist Army, with which he moved to Taiwan. Ten years later he returned to his spiritual life once again and became ordained through his master, Tung-chu (東初老人).
At age 39, Sheng Yen pursued further study at Rissho University in Tokyo and received a doctorate in literature, becoming the first Chinese monk to attain a doctorate.
Since then, Sheng Yen's profound influence could be seen in various fields. An opinion poll in Common Wealth, a leading Taiwanese magazine, named him as one of "the 50 most influential people in Taiwan in the past 400 years."
Since Sheng Yen is a widely renowned expert on traditional Chinese Buddhism, the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibet, met with Sheng Yen regarding the common characteristics and differences between the two branches in 1998.
Sheng Yen also acts as a spiritual teacher to many of the nation's politicians. President Chen Shui-bian (
In addition, KMT lawmaker Lo Ming-tsai (羅明才), the son of former independent lawmaker Lo Fu-chu (羅福助), has sought Sheng Yen's advice on the controversy surrounding his father's connections to the Tiendaomeng (天道盟) organized crime group.
The younger Lo approached Sheng Yen while his father was being considered for one of three convener posts on the legislature's Judicial Committee.
Many doubts were raised at the time as to whether it would be appropriate for Lo Fu-chu to be elected to such a position.
Sheng Yen urged Lo Ming-tsai to ignore the criticism of others. The spiritual leader advised legislators, including both the elder and younger Lo, to engage in introspection, saying, "as long as you think you are doing the right thing, you shouldn't care too much about what other people think of you."
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
‘FORM OF PROTEST’: The German Institute Taipei said it was ‘shocked’ to see Nazi symbolism used in connection with political aims as it condemned the incident Sung Chien-liang (宋建樑), who led efforts to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lee Kun-cheng (李坤城), was released on bail of NT$80,000 yesterday amid an outcry over a Nazi armband he wore to questioning the night before. Sung arrived at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office for questioning in a recall petition forgery case on Tuesday night wearing a red armband bearing a swastika, carrying a copy of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf and giving a Nazi salute. Sung left the building at 1:15am without the armband and apparently covering the book with a coat. This is a serious international scandal and Chinese
COUNTERINTELLIGENCE TRAINING: The ministry said 87.5 percent of the apprehended Chinese agents were reported by service members they tried to lure into becoming spies Taiwanese organized crime, illegal money lenders, temples and civic groups are complicit in Beijing’s infiltration of the armed forces, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said in a report yesterday. Retired service members who had been turned to Beijing’s cause mainly relied on those channels to infiltrate the Taiwanese military, according to the report to be submitted to lawmakers ahead of tomorrow’s hearing on Chinese espionage in the military. Chinese intelligence typically used blackmail, Internet-based communications, bribery or debts to loan sharks to leverage active service personnel to do its bidding, it said. China’s main goals are to collect intelligence, and develop a
RSS