..續本文上一頁ic Annals of Pre-Han China, Wang Bo”s The Pavilion of Prince Teng Sequence. Reading between the lines, it seems that they all teach us to chase after fame and fortune, to become so and so… Yet I wish to know, when we grow up, must we pursue these

　　 Irrespective of if they are good or not

　　Answer: In contemporary education, it has almost become a trend to teach students to pursue fame and fortune, “when you grow up you need to be successful, be famous, be so and so…” But while teaching these, it is best to also set up some idea of altruism for children – “In the future you need to help others, care for life, give back to society, and so on…”

　　If from a young age, a person is only taught how to survive, how to demand things, when he grows up he will also become this kind of narrow viewed and self-centred person. On the contrary, if from childhood he is taught how to be considerate rather than just thinking about the self, then as he grows up he will naturally be considerate for society and contribute and make sacrifices for humanity, even for all beings. This is why a good education will allow someone”s life to present altruistic trends, and this trend is considerably rare and considerably crucial.

　　Of course, what to accept or reject of classical thought perhaps still require detailed analysis. On the one hand, while the ancients had wisdom and ethics, they are still just worldly beings; therefore it is understandable that they taught others to seek fame and fortune in their writings. But on the other hand, there is much of their thinking that is worth studying. We cannot make sweeping generalizations and abandon everything.

　　Up to now, I have yet to have religious belief, I hope my words will not offend. I wish to ask: for someone without religious belief, is it possible to realize the same kind of peace and wisdom brought about by religion, but through one”s own virtuous mind and after studying and contemplation

　　Answer: In our type of exchange, whether you have belief or not you can all join in. This is a free and open platform. Personally speaking, I have always greatly respected those without belief, because I believe that for him to not maintain a belief, he must have his own rationales and values, as well as a way of life based on these.

　　Certainly, as a Buddhist, after long years of studying Buddhism, as I have contemplated a great deal, I have attained a little realization. Thus, I still hope that it is best for a person to have a belief. But just as you have said, for someone without belief, if he has a good heart and can lean on a type of thinking to perfect the self, and even to benefit humanity, I also don”t see why not.

　　But then, if you have borrowed ideas from a particular religion, then it also counts as a kind of belief. A narrow belief requires you to be an adherent, but from a broader perspective, as you read and study, if you start to trust and admire a particular teaching, then it is already a “belief”. Therefore, beliefs can be pided into many layers.

　　Question: Each religion has its classics, but if people were to read them with reverence, would the resultant excessive trust harm the intellect and affect critical thinking

　　Answer: The truth will never harm your intellect.

　　If it is work that is unhealthy, unscientific, and does not contain the truth, then when you overly trust it and read it, it may bring adverse effects to your life. But if it is the truth, especially the precious Buddhist classics that I have encountered, they contain only the zenith of human thought. Anyone who has read them will find their spirits cleansed, their thoughts purified, and there can only be benefits and not a single harm.

　　Of course, I also understand your concern. Generally speaking, when people are young, their thoughts …

《Hong Kong University Question and Answer》全文未完，請進入下頁繼續閱讀…