..續本文上一頁re specially created for the selfish pleasure of man. We have to counter the Renaissance notion that "man is the measure of all things."

　　Surely it is a difficult task, but certainly it is not impossible. More and more people in developed countries are waking up to the obvious fact that the world was NOT made for man”s pleasure, and that it was not created in one glorious moment but that everything that exists is an illusion and dependent on everything else, that man”s ultimate happiness lies in his working not for himself alone but for the safety and happiness of others. This is exactly the Buddha”s view and a large number of people, weary of past excesses and fearful of impending disaster are ready to give heed to the Buddha”s advice on peaceful co-existence where duties and responsibilities take precedence over rights.

　　The time is therefore ripe for Buddhists all over the world to explain the message of the Buddha in modern terms, to help people understand the REAL nature of existence. Once there is Right (or Perfect) Understanding then naturally all other aspects of the teaching will not seem so naive and impractical after all. Already many education systems in the west are paying due attention to the development of a culture where man is taught to put the concerns of others before his own needs. Increasingly the innate goodness of beings is fostered through proper education and understanding. Yes, the Buddha”s model for a Perfect Society can work, but we must work intelligently and ceaselessly to make it work. A Buddhist value system is already recognizable in many organizations such as UNESCO, WHO, FAO and so on. It is of no concern to us whether or not every human being is converted to Buddhism. The Buddha has declared that we can respect any system which contains aspects of the FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS which obviously these organisations do. Our concern is only for the happiness of humanity, both material and spiritual. Greater awareness of the Buddha”s teachings will make his principles universally accepted.

　　Unity in Buddhist Schools of Thought

　　To create this awareness Buddhists must adopt a two fold strategy. First we must put our own house in order. Two millennia of dissension within ourselves and aggression from outside have weakened our practice. We must look at ourselves clearly and examine what are our inner weaknesses which reduce our ability to truly practise the Buddha”s message to help our fellow beings. Ever since the First Council following the passing away of the Buddha we Buddhists have expended enormous amounts of energy to develop different schools or traditions within Buddhism. Of course this development of our pergent views took place with a degree of brotherly feeling which is unique in the history of religion. We can proudly assert again and again that we have practiced a path of peace which is unique. We can proudly assert again and again that guided by the Master”s Teachings in the Kalama Sutra (and reiterated in the edicts of Asoka) we have never shed a drop of blood or raised a single whip to spread our beliefs or to defend them. This record alone gives us a greater credibility over others. We have the blueprint to create universal peace.

　　However, let”s be realistic. While we can go on forever patting ourselves on our backs for our tolerance, the fact remains that we have gone in different directions and that we have tended to consider "our" school superior to that of others. The Buddha taught only one Path to Perfection. Our imperfections gave rise to the different schools. The time has come for us to transcend our narrow sectarian views and look forward to developing an understanding of what has been, described as "Transcendental Buddhism". This pooling of our resources, and leaving behind our cultu…

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