教廷致佛教徒1998卫塞节文告(修订版)

众悦来

伟大教皇!

若望

怀 着 希 望 　走 在 一 起

摘自香港公教报2829期

　　卫塞节是南传小乘佛教（源自印度﹑缅甸﹑斯里兰卡）的庆节﹐庆祝佛祖的诞生﹑涅盘﹑成道﹐一九五零年起成为全球性的佛教庆节﹐节期在新历五月内的初十五日﹑即今年的五月十日（对比在本港较为活跃的大乘佛教﹐其佛诞定于农历四月八日﹐即今年新历五月三日）(香港公教报注)


亲爱的佛教朋友﹕
　　藉着卫塞节（Vesakh）这个纪念佛祖一生中几个重要时刻的日子﹐本人谨以宗座宗教协谈委员会主席的名义﹐代表全球各地天主教徒向你们致以祝福。
　　本人乐见佛教徒和天主教徒付出努力﹐在宗教经验上互相交流﹐使双方的交谈清晰可见。佛教和天主教的信仰﹐皆着重「默观的向度」。一九七九年至今﹐通过「修道院灵性交流计划」及「修道院接待计划」﹐不同修道传统中﹑委身默观生活的佛教徒和天主教徒得以走在一起﹐展开深入的交谈。这努力确实值得嘉许。
　　虽然彼此对新生的理解各异﹐但对新生的期许﹐成为了我们对话的根源。对我们基督徒来说﹐新生只能在耶稣基督内寻找与发现。耶稣指示这道路说﹕「我是道路﹐真理﹐生命」（约14:6）。他不但训诲我们不要报复﹐还要用善良战胜邪恶。他说﹕「你们一向听说过『以眼还眼﹐以牙还牙』。我却对你们说﹕不要抵抗恶人﹔而且﹐若有人掌击你的右颊﹐你把另一面也转给他」（玛5:38-39）。可敬的马哈·哥沙纳达（Maha Ghosananda）转述佛祖的经义说﹕「若遭人欺负﹐别让怒气发作﹐只管说﹕『心别烦乱﹐别恶言相向﹔别心存奸诈﹐要以爱心保持友善。』」
　　希望使我们不致气馁。若明白周遭有数不尽的「希望的记号」﹐我们便有能力重新开始。这些「希望的记号」是﹕这时代人与人之间﹑特别是与穷困和不幸者之间的分享和关怀﹔对公义与和平的渴求﹔志愿服务﹔再次寻找超越的经验﹔对人类尊严和人权的觉醒﹔对环境的关注等等。容我在此添加一个特殊的希望的记号﹐就是教宗若望保禄二世所强调的﹕宗教交谈。
　　抱希望的人同时是务实的人﹐他们不会对现实的种种光明面与阴暗面视而不见。我们不能掩眼不顾世上悲惨的危机﹕国际间的战争﹑内战﹐形形式式的恐怖主义﹑导致贫富悬殊的不公义﹑饿饿﹑无家可归﹑失业──青年失业的问题尤其严重﹑忽略了团结的全球化﹑沉重的外债﹑毒品问题﹑道德沦丧﹑堕胎。纵使这名单仍可数算下去﹐但希望的微弱灯光必定会永远燃点下去﹐照亮前路﹑带领人类通往更美好的未来。
　　我们天主教徒和佛教徒﹐尽管追求各自的精神道路﹐却可携手合作﹐为人类增添希望。但我们得先要接受彼此的差异﹐互相尊重﹐付出真爱。这使我们变得更加可信﹐并为人类多添一个希望的记号。
　　秉承这精神﹐容我再向你们﹑亲爱的佛教朋友﹐在卫塞节这庆日致以祝福。

艾凌志（F. Arinze）枢机
宗座宗教交谈委员会主席
梵蒂冈城

若望

CHRISTIANS AND BUDDHISTS: TOGETHER IN HOPE

MESSAGE FOR VESAKH 1998


Dear Buddhist Friends,

1. On the occasion of Vesakh, which commemorates the Nativity of Sakyamuni Buddha, I wish to express to you, in my capacity as President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, the best wishes of Catholics throughout the world.

2. I am happy to say that ongoing dialogue between Buddhists and Christians is distinguished by efforts to meet at the level of religious experience. Both Buddhism and Christianity emphasize the "contemplative dimension" in their practice of religion. Since 1979, through the "Intermonastic Spiritual Exchange" and the "Monastic Hospitality Programme", Buddhists and Christians who are committed to a contemplative life through their respective monastic disciplines have engaged in encounter where in-depth dialogue is possible. This effort is truly commendable.

3. It is hope of new life that has been at the source of our dialogue although our understanding of this new life differs. For us Christians, the new life is to be sought and found only in Jesus Christ. Jesus indicated the way when he said: "I am the way, the truth and the life" (John 14:6). He taught us not only not to engage in revenge, but to defeat evil with good. He said: "You have learnt how it was said: Eye for eye and tooth for tooth. But I say this to you: offer the wicked man no resistance. On the contrary, if anyone hits you on the right cheek, offer him the other as well" (Matthew 5:38-39). This makes me think of Ven. Maha Ghosananda's rendering of the one of the teachings of Buddha: "When we are wronged, we must set aside all resentment and say, 'My mind will not be disturbed . Not one angry word will escape from my lips; I will remain kind and friendly, with loving thoughts and no secret malice.'"

4. Hope rescues us from discouragement. We are enabled to begin anew by perceiving around us numerous "signs of hope": the growing solidarity among people in our time, especially with the poor and destitute, the desire for justice and peace, voluntary service, the return of the search for transcendence, an awareness of human dignity and of the rights which flow from it, attention to the environment, etc. I wish to mention here a particular sign of hope, which Pope John Paul II has underlined, namely interreligious dialogue.

5. People of hope are, at the same time, realists who do not close their eyes to reality with all its positive and negative aspects. We cannot turn a blind eye to the dramatic crises of our world: the wars between different countries, civil wars, terrorism in all its forms, injustice which is forever widening the gap between rich and poor, hunger, the lack of shelter, unemployment - especially among the youth, globalization without solidarity, the heavy burden of external debt, the problem of drugs, immorality, abortion. The list could be extended. Nevertheless the small lamp of hope must always remain alight, shining on the paths leading humanity to a better future.

6. We Christians and Buddhists, embarked on our respective spiritual paths, can work together to give increased hope to humanity. Yet first we must accept our differences and show each other mutual respect and true love. This will render us more credible, and we shall be for humanity a further sign of hope in addition to those which exist already.

7. It is in this spirit that I convey to you once again, dear Buddhist friends, my best wishes for the feast of Vesakh.

Cardinal Francis Arinze
President

若望

以下是引用 李承 在 2005-12-7 12:46:37 的发言：
好像发过，支持！

管理员把它移到这里。谢谢！

大札雅玛