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轩辕1：Hatred and Vengeance Will Never Solve th
Hatred and Vengeance Will Never Solve the Problem
Even though what happened on September the 11th shocked everyone and thousands of people had lost their lives during this attack, if we trace back to the very root, this plan of attack must have been plotted for many years.Islam’s hatred towards the U.S. has been accumulating for years.From the TV screen, we witnessed many Islamic people celebrating and cheering for this attack.These images make us contemplate further about what this all mean to us.
It is very apparent that these terrorists hold a very deep grudge against the U.S. and that they have been incessantly scheming for a long time.Can a war of hatred and revenge really solve the problem, or would it further worsen the feud between the two?
1. From looking at the recent war history, the war in Kosovo did not solve the problem; it only caused more innocent people to die, to become homeless and had created even more refugees.Soviet Union attacked Afghanistan, for ten years, Soviet Union suffered a great loss and caused Afghanistan to have an on going civil war.Millions of refugees escaped to the neighboring countries.Starved people everywhere within the country.This is the result of a war.
2. Look at how historically the successive U.S. Presidents suppressed the Terrorism, the tactics they used for repressing and attacking the terrorists from all sides did not wipe out the terrorists; instead the Terrorism has spread all over the world.The terrorists today are better organized, greater in scale and rampant all over the world.It is entirely possible that one of your neighbors is a member of the terrorist groups.Those people are not afraid to die and they retaliate at any time.If the hatred from both sides continues to escalate, the methods used for retaliation will only get more ruthless.When that time comes, everyone will be unsafe and living in terror.
3. Again, look at the weapons used in today’s warfare, they are either biochemical or nuclear weapons.There will be no true winner in today’s war.Both sides will be losers.It will be a massacre on the largest scale, a complete destruction of mankind.If the war ever gets started, the prophecy of the doomsday revelation will not be far away.
The Bible says, “God loves all people”; it also says, “Love thy enemy”.Only with true sincere loving-kindness, can hatred be resolved. When Jesus was crucified on the cross, he harbored no animosity only forgiveness.He said, ” Father, forgive those people, they don’t know what they are doing.”Thereupon, God’s love prevails all over the world.
Looking back on the history, the U.S. had spent 8 hundred million US dollars in the Korean War.If the U.S. did not choose war, instead they used the money to aid the North and South Korea to build the country, all the people of Korea will still be grateful to the people of U.S. today.In the Vietnam War the U.S. had spent 80 billion US dollars.That was the War that U.S. did not win, it only made the American people hate the Vietnam War while made the Vietnamese and Cambodian people almost extinct.Many Vietnamese people became refugees spreading all over the globe.If at that time, instead of war, the U.S. chose to help the Vietnam with this 80 billion US dollars to built the country for the benefit of its people, the Vietnamese people will all be very grateful and follow the U.S. lead today and treat the U.S. as their born again parents.
The well-known British historian, Dr. Arnold J. Tonybee once said,” According to my assumption, when human beings develop into a mono society, it is when the world will be unified as one.In the era of nuclear power of today, this kind of unification by force—the traditional way of uniting most part of this earth in the past—would be most difficult.At the same time, I foresee a unification by peace. It would be based centering on the culture and the geography, integrating gradually crystallizing and expanding into one.”Also he said, “the unification of this world will be achieved in peace.This is our only way in this era of nuclear power.” (Please copy from the original text)
How do we get along with each other in harmony?There has to be “equal treatment for all” before people can live in harmony.Everyone is number one; none is second to the other.All religions are number one, Buddhism is number one religion, so is Christianity, so is Islam; Buddhist sutras are number one, Bible is number one, and so is Koran.Every country is number one.Every ethnic group is number one.Today why people cannot get along with each other?Because there is the thought of “I am higher”, “you are lower”, “you are not as good as I am”, this will not work.As long as there is high and low, big and small, how can this world not be in disorder?How can there be peace?Mankind has been crying for peace everyday, praying for peace everyday, even though praying has been going on for thousands of years, there has been no peace.What is the reason?As long as there is inequality among people, there can be no peace; therefore, harmony results from equality.Therefore, today if we want to seek peace, there must be equality among people, among ethnic groups, among religions and among nations; only then will this world be in peace; therefore, inequality can never bring peace.
Originally our human nature was all good.Why did it turn bad? Sometimes our human nature gets deluded.Why are others being unkind to us?They misunderstood us.We should never blame the others.The difference between sages and ordinary people is that ordinary people always think that it is the others that are at fault; sages always put the blames on themselves.Other people may slander us, but why?We are not doing a good enough job.Why do they insult us?The answer is the same, we are not doing a good enough job.
Therefore, if we want to seek world peace, there must be mutual respect, care, trust, praise, and cooperation among different religions, ethnic groups and nations without the slander and the hurt.
The Islam in Afghanistan blew up the two stone carvings of the Buddha statues while back, I happened to be in Hong Kong at that time.During the interview by Hong Kong’s Phoenix TV station, I was asked to comment on this event.My answer was that it was only a misunderstanding.They did not do anything wrong.They misunderstood because they do not understand the truth about reality.I only felt sorry that this had to happen, I did not put the blame on them.It is because we have failed in our efforts in propagating Buddhism that caused them to misunderstand.They know they should respect and make offerings to their God, Allah, but they do not know that Buddha Shakyamuni is the manifestation of Allah.If they know that Buddha Shakyamuni is the manifestation of Allah, they would have worshiped and prostrated to Him.“The Buddhas of the past, present and future and from ten directions all share the same Dharma body.”In Buddhism, Buddha will manifest the most appropriate image to help sentient beings obtain enlightenment.Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have wisdom and capability, will manifest as Allah, if people are to be enlightened by Allah.Buddha will manifest as Jesus Christ, if people are to be enlightened by Jesus Christ.Therefore, the Holy beings of all religions are the manifestation of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.This way, all will be equal and live in harmony.All the problems will be resolved.If there is only one true God, then all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are the manifestation of God.
We seek social stability and world peace without inflicting confrontation or asking for troubles.Our every word is the truth, the true facts of reality.It is not possible that people cannot get along with each other.Even though they blew up the Buddha statues, we do not blame them.We blame ourselves.We as Buddhists did not explain the Buddhist teachings well enough to the people of this world.We caused them to misunderstand us.They blew up the statues of Buddha, the fault lies with the Buddhists not with them.Am I wrong in saying that?It is wrong for us to blame them.We should reflect upon ourselves for we did not do a good enough job.
The Bible says, ”God loves all people.”The Koran says, “ Allah indeed the merciful.”Buddha says, “Compassion”.The common ideal of all Holy beings is “Love”.Only “Love” can bring true peace and resolve the hatred.
Therefore, do we choose to solve or create problems?We can spend millions of US dollars on building a bomb or we can offer twenty US dollars to aid the people of the poor third world countries each month.Do we want to spend money to kill people or to save lives? Which way can really solve the problems?We know war cannot solve problems. Only through giving unselfishly without expecting any return and with our sincere loving-kindness can we solve this world’s problems.Only when all the different religions, ethnic groups and countries come together with mutual respect, care, trust, praise, and cooperation, can we achieve social stability and world peace.
Chin Kung
October 4, 2001

轩辕1：仇恨報復不能解決問題　　　　　　　　　 　　　　
　 淨空法師講述
　
誠然，九一一事件令人髮指，成千人的生命在這次事件中被奪走了，但是追究根源，這計劃已經籌畫了許多年，他們對美國的仇恨蓄積多年，在電視畫面上看到許多回教國家的國民額手稱慶，這個畫面值得深思。
可見這個怨恨已積得很深，恐怖主義處心積慮，由來已久。復仇、報復的戰爭是否真能解決問題，還是讓仇恨越結越深？
一、從最近的戰爭歷史來看，科索渥的戰爭，並沒有解決問題，只是讓更多無辜的百姓，死於非命，流離失所，出現更多的難民。蘇聯出兵阿富汗，十年來不僅搞得灰頭土臉，反而使阿富汗連年內戰，百萬的難民逃向鄰國，國內飢民遍野，這是戰爭的後果。
二、看看美國歷届總統鎮壓恐怖主義的歷史，鎮壓，圍剿的手段並沒有使恐怖主義消滅，反而擴散到全球。如今的恐怖主義，更有組織，更具規模，散布全球，可能你的鄰居就是恐怖組織的一員，他們不怕死，隨時可以進行報復，如果雙方仇恨繼續加深，報復手段只有更加殘酷，到時人人自危，成天生活在惶惶不安的日子裏。
三、再看現在戰爭所使用的武器，不是生化就是核武，現在的戰爭不再有任一方會是真正的贏家，而是雙輸的戰爭，一種集体大屠殺的戰爭，人類毀滅的戰爭，戰爭一旦爆發，預言上所講的末日就不遠了。
聖經上說：「神愛世人」，又說「要愛你的敵人」，惟有真誠的愛心才能化解仇恨，當耶穌被釘在十字架上的時候，祂心中並沒有仇恨，而是原諒，祂說：「主啊！請原諒他們吧！他們並不知道他們在做什麼？」於是神的愛才能遍佈全球。
回顧過往的歷史，美國在韓戰中花了八億美元，如果美國不選擇戰爭，而把這八億美元捐助給南北韓建設他們的國家，所有韓國人將對美國人至今猶感恩戴德。再看看越戰，美國花了八百億美元打越戰，不僅未能打勝戰，反而使美國人恨越戰，越南人，高棉人幾乎滅種，越南難民散佈全球。如果當初美國選擇將這八百億協助南北越建設他們的國家，造福越南的百姓，如今的越南百姓一定個個服膺美國，對美國視同再生父母。
英國歷史學家湯恩比博士說：『依我的設想，全人類發展到形成單一社會之時，可能就是實現世界統一之日。在原子能時代的今天，這種統一靠武力征服—過去把地球上的廣大部分統一起來的傳統方法—已經難以作到。同時，我所預見的和平統一，一定是以地理和文化主軸為中心，不斷結晶擴大起來的。』，又說：『世界的統一將在和平中實現，這正是原子能時代唯一可行的道路。』
我們怎麼能和睦相處？『平等對待』才能和睦相處。人人都第一，沒有第二。所有的宗教皆第一，佛教第一，基督教第一，回教也第一；佛經第一，《聖經》第一，《可蘭經》也第一，國與國之間、族群與族群，也各各第一，今天人與人之間為什麼不能相處？我高你低，你不如我，這個行不通也。只要有高下，只要有大小，這個世界怎麼會不亂？怎麼可能有和平？人類天天喊和平，天天祈求和平，祈求了幾千年幾萬年，和平也沒有出現。什麼原因？只要人與人不平，就不可能和平，所以和、平，和是果報，平是因素，平等是因；不平等哪來的和平？所以我們今天要求和平，人與人要平等，族與族要平等，宗教與宗教要平等，國家與國家要平等，世界就和平；不平等是決定不可能有和平。
一切人天性本來都是善的，他為什麼變成不善？偶爾迷惑了。別人為什麼以不善的行為對我？他對我有誤會。決定不可以怪人，聖人跟凡夫不同的地方，凡夫念念都是別人錯，我對；聖人念念別人對，我不對。別人毀謗我，他為什麼要毀謗我？是我做得不夠好；他為什麼要侮辱我？是我做得不夠好。
我們要希求世界和平，必須要宗教、族群、國家之間，人人懂得互相尊重，互相敬愛，互相信賴，互相讚嘆，互相協助，決定沒有毀謗和傷害。
阿富汗的回教把佛教兩尊石雕的佛像炸毀，那個時候我正好在香港，鳳凰電視台來採訪，就要我對這個事情加以批評。我的解答：這是出於誤會，他們並沒有做錯，他誤會，他不了解事實真相；我只感覺得很遺憾，我沒有怪罪他有錯誤。而是我們弘法不力而使他誤會？他們知道供奉上帝安拉，而不曉得釋迦牟尼佛是安拉的化身，他如果知道釋迦牟尼佛是安拉的化身，他也會頂禮膜拜。「十方三世佛，共同一法身」，在我們佛法裡面講，應以什麼身得度，佛就現什麼身。佛菩薩有智慧能力，應以安拉身得度，就現安拉身；應以基督身得度，他就現基督身。所以每一個宗教的神聖都是佛菩薩的化身，這樣多平等，這樣多和睦！問題馬上就化解了，就擺平了。若以上帝為唯一真神，則諸佛菩薩也是真神的化身。
我們要求社會安定、世界和平，不要引起衝突，不要自生麻煩，我們講的話句句都是實話，都是事實真相，哪有不能和睦相處的？他把佛像炸毀，我們不怪他，怪我們自己，我們佛教徒沒有把這些道理向世間人講清楚、講明白，使他產生誤會。他把這個佛像炸毀的過失，過失在我們佛教徒，不在他。你們想想我說的話有沒有道理？責怪他，錯了！凡事要反求諸己。我們自己沒有做好。
聖經上說：「神愛世人」，可蘭經上說：「安拉確實是仁慈的」，佛說：「慈悲」。所有神聖的共同理念就是『愛』，唯有『愛』才能帶來真正的和平，才能化解仇恨。
所以我們到底要選擇解決問題，還是製造更多的問題？我們可以花數百萬美元製造一顆炸彈，或提供貧窮國家每一個人每個月二十美元的資助，我們到底選擇花錢去殺人或是花錢去救人，那一樣能真正解決問題呢？戰爭不能解決問題，只有無私無求的布施、與真誠的愛心才能解決問題。只有當不同的宗教、不同的文化、不同的國家，互相尊重、互相敬愛、互相信賴、互助合作，才能達到社會安定、世界和平。
释淨空
二○○一年十月四日

轩辕1：请转给你们的国外客人,功德无量.