Question and Answer Session at Tsinghua Science Park
(June 25, 2010 PM)
(1) Question: I am an entrepreneur at the Zhong Guan Cun Science Park. I have my own businesses here. I would like to ask: Today, natural and man-made disasters have been happening one after the other, especially in the last couple of years. Earthquakes, droughts, floods and so forth occur frequently. What is the main reason for this
Answer: This is something that everyone should be concerned about. Almost twice as many natural disasters have occurred from 2001 until today than in the previous decade. Religious people and those working in science and technology have their own inpidual views on this. Generally speaking, though, it has been widely recognized that humankind has recklessly been destroying nature, mining holy mountains, cutting down forests, killing huge amounts of animals using scientific and technological means, and continuously committing many evil actions. These things are enough to cause widespread indignation and discontent for both humans and gods. This is coupled with the increasingly agitated minds of modern people, which, when reflected in the external world also leads to various disasters. As such, due to the fact that sentient beings have committed unwholesome actions, their external world is reflecting this.
(2) Question: I am the Vice-President of marketing and sales of a Tsinghua Tongfang subordinate company. During my daily work, I often have to compete with many rivals to win customers for projects. For this, I have to think of and use many tactics, but doing so is contrary to the Mahayana doctrine. Without doing this, it seems that it is impossible to successfully secure a project. How should lay Buddhist practitioners like me resolve or reconcile this kind of conflict
Answer: Generally, in accordance with the Buddhist point of view, as a lay practitioner, whether you are a worker, farmer, or businessman, it is reasonable to use ordinary means to gain profits so that you are able to support your daily lives.
However, the objectives and nature of each industry are not the same, and some types of business will have more deceptive elements than other fields. It is inevitable, when doing business, that you may deceive others and even have to employ many tricks. Strictly speaking, when we observe this in terms of the law of cause and effect, these are not allowed. But if you have no choice, then the only way is to try your best to refrain from any activity that may harm others, regularly practice confession, and use the money you earn from business for charitable acts.
(3) Question: I am a technology worker. I have a question: In an environment like the Chinese Han region, where most people don”t believe in Buddhism, how can we spread the Dharma
Answer: I think activities to spread the Dharma rely on certain causes and conditions. It is also written in the scriptures: “Do not teach Dharma to those who are disrespectful.” If someone doesn”t have confidence in and doesn”t have any sense of reverence for Buddhism, then we should not teach the Dharma to them; we should respect their choice. When it is not possible to promote Buddhism, there is no need to force ourselves to do so.
However, if the correct causes and conditions are all in place, then we should not simply give up because it takes too much time, because we are too busy with our work, because we have too many personal matters to resolve, and so forth. Instead, we should make the promotion of Dharma our first priority. Why
Because Buddhist philosophy, whether in the past, present, or future, is extremely profound, and very beneficial for people. If we can, we should help others by using Dharma. Its benefits are far greater than helping others with money or status…
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