Building a Model City of Peace and Harmony in Toowoomba
Shi Chin Kung AM
“Morality and Virtues: A Faith Perspective”
Forum Keynote Speech
Allison Dickson Hall, University of Southern Queensland
Toowoomba, Australia
17 March 2012
Respected leaders from the government, respected leaders of various religions and faith traditions, and honored guests.
Today
is a joyful day. Once again we are gathered here in this beautiful
garden city, Toowoomba. Joining the forum today are our respected mayor
and many elders and friends from Toowoomba. Together with those who are
dedicated to promoting peace and harmony to make this world a better
place, those who have travelled from near and far, from various
religions and faith traditions, we are all hoping and working as one to
make Toowoomba a model city of peace and harmony.
The Cause of Disasters and How to Resolve It
We
all know that our world is experiencing ever-increasing conflicts and
chaos. Possibilities for armed conflicts are seen in many places.
Natural disasters are occurring with increasing frequency. Some worry
that the end of the world is coming. We have to ask, “What is the cause
of these natural and man-made disasters?” “How do we resolve them?”
Dr.
Masaru Emoto from Japan, with his renowned experiments on water, has
proven that the crystallization of water can be changed from beautiful
to ugly when experimenters’ thoughts change from kindness to cruelty.
This is perhaps the most direct proof of the law of cause and effect.
Confucius taught in the Book of Shan: “.
. . do good and a hundred good fortunes will manifest. Do evil and a
hundred misfortunes will ensue.” The Bible says: “Woe unto the wicked!
It shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him.” Isaiah 3:11 (King James Version). The Quran says: “And whatever of misfortune befalls you, it is because of what your hands have earned.” 42:30 (The Noble Quran).
We
can thus see that due to the ill will of humanity as a whole, our world
is experiencing both natural and man-made disasters. Selfishness,
cruelty, and such malevolence have created dilemmas in the world.
According to the Buddhist sutras, greed causes floods, anger causes
fire (a rise in temperature), ignorance causes windstorms, arrogance
causes earthquakes, doubt causes frailty of the environment (including
cave-ins, and landslides), selfishness and confrontation cause chaos
and war, and evil mindsets cause illness and diseases. It is said that “All phenomenon arise from our minds; our environment can be transformed by the mind.” Quantum physics has revealed to us that matter is the creation of our will. Matter is influenced and controlled by our wills.
Mr.
Gregg Braden from the U. S. has said that to change our world for the
better in the time period described by the Mayan calendar in 2012, we
must stop our wrongdoings and start doing good. Also, we must adjust
our mindsets to become positive and kind.
Dr.
Emoto once organized 300 people to conduct an experiment near Lake
Biwa, Japan. They prayed to the stagnant cove water which had become
foul smelling. The water became clean as the people kept sending it
messages of love. As a result, the long-polluted cove of Lake Biwa
became clean and remained so for nearly half a year. We can see that
kind and pure thoughts truly can bring about a good and serene
environment. If we can keep our minds in a state of sincerity, purity,
equality, awakening, and compassion, then all natural and man-made
disasters will gradually dissipate. The world will become peaceful and
tranquil. Our earth will regain its beauty and wonder.
World Peace Begins with Religious Harmony
In
2005, the former prime minister of Malaysia, Dr. Mahathir, spoke to me.
With great concern, he asked if our world would ever be peaceful again? I
answered that if we can fulfill four conditions, then it is possible
for peace to become a reality. He asked which four conditions? I said
first of all, all countries had to treat one another equally and get
along harmoniously. Then, the same applied to political parties, ethnic
groups, and last, religious groups. If these four conditions could be
achieved, and everyone treated one another equally and got along harmoniously, conflicts could be resolved and peace would be realized.
Upon
hearing my words, Dr. Mahathir was silent for a while. I then said that
these conditions were truly difficult and complicated to fulfill. But
if we started with religious harmony and cooperation, then it could be
achieved. Dr. Mahathir understood immediately.
Cooperation
between religions is the key to world peace. All religious texts teach
people to learn the lesson from saints and sages - God, and Buddha,
about universal love, broadmindedness, selflessness, abandonment of
evil and promotion of kindness, letting go of greed, betterment of
spirituality, and doing everything we can to help all beings attain
happiness and end suffering. The number of religious adherents around
the world still surpasses non-believers. If all religious adherents
could abide by their own religious teachings while at the same time
treating other religious adherents with equality, with harmony while
mutually learning, could cooperate and help one another, then this
strong force for peace and harmony would surely bring about world peace.
Since
1998, we did our part in promoting religious harmony and cooperation in
Singapore as well as in Malaysia. The result has been joyful. Over the
past ten years, we have seen work in the area of religious harmony
becoming more visible. In February 2009, Griffith University and the
Pure Land Learning College Association hosted the “One Humanity, Many
Faiths” summit in the Brisbane City Hall. Over 400 people from 148
religious organizations from Australia and Asian countries, and leaders
from political and financial sectors attended. There was much positive
feedback, resonating with the theme of the event. These experiences
have shown us that all religions and faith traditions in the world are
members of one family. As one family, religious harmony can be realized.
The Inspiration of the Lujiang Project of Harmony
For
many years, I have had opportunities to report to various peace
conferences initiated by the UN and UNESCO in different countries. I
presented the wisdom, methods, and experiences from Chinese ancestors,
saints, and sages in the area of achieving good governance for a
nation. Many participants were pleased to hear about these ancient
teachings but they expressed doubt about its practicality. The only way
to increase confidence for everyone was to establish a place with a
peaceful experimental model in order to prove the validity of the
teachings.
From
2005 to 2008, we went to the town of Lujiang, Anhui province, China. We
decided to start with this town as a demonstration area. We promoted
traditional Chinese culture, using Guidelines for Being a Good Person (Di Zi Gui)
as the basic teaching material. These teachings promoted social
cohesion and taught about peace and harmony. It was beyond our
expectation that within a few months, great results were witnessed. The
divorce rate of the town went down. The crime rate dropped. More people
talked about family unity and engaged in neighborly exchanges than
before. Even the streets were much cleaner and people changed for the
better. The face of this 48,000 populated town was almost brand new.
These
results have shown us that the innate nature of humanity is filled with
purity and goodness. People eagerly seek to have a harmonious society
and community. Most simply do not know the method to use to achieve it.
Once a way is found, hope is within sight, then most people are willing
to do their best to see it realized. People can be easily taught. They
can be taught to become better.
Conditions Have Matured for Toowoomba to Become a
Model City of Peace and Harmony
Today,
with the success of Lujiang as a point of demonstration, elders and
leaders who are ready to help build Toowoomba into a model city of
harmony have a clear direction and a point of reference. Many staff
members and students in PLLCA have resided in Toowoomba for the past
ten years. We have established a good rapport with local residents and
many religious organizations.
For
ten years, the PLLCA has hosted a Friendship Dinner and multifaith
forum on Saturday evening. Representatives from different faith
traditions and religions are able to communicate in harmony and peace
while residents are caring and kind to one another. Visitors feel at
home here just like members of a big family. In December 2011, at the
ten-year anniversary celebration of the PLLCA, many faith leaders
expressed their support and wish for making Toowoomba a model city of
peace and harmony for the whole world. This is a deeply meaningful and
tremendously insightful action. It is a blessed endeavor of the highest
order.
Toowoomba
is a place with distinct characteristics. Residents come from many
parts of the world, with different communities, ethnicities, and
cultures. They each have their own customs and religious beliefs.
Toowoomba is able to express its beauty in a multicultural setting just
like a magnificent flower garden in which hundreds of different flowers
blossom for the visitors to behold and wonder.
Due
to these unique characteristics, it is especially meaningful to help
establish Toowoomba as a model city of peace and harmony. We wish to
preserve and treasure the distinct features of each ethnicity and
culture. With a mind that is loving, compassionate, and accepting, we
can all mutually respect, accept, and harmoniously treat one another
with impartiality.
When
visitors come to Toowoomba, they will be able to see people of
different colors and ethnicities with their diverse traditions and
cultures thrive here as one family. This will bring real awakening to
people of the world. This awakening is solely due to misunderstandings
caused by a lack of proper communication and mutual understanding. In
the past, we were faced with tragedies of conflicts and even wars that
seemingly took place as a result of different ethnicities, faiths, and
customs.
With
the ease of travel and rapid exchange of information, our world has
become a village. If we continue to fall back on erroneous old ideas,
unwilling to let go of selfishness, narrow-mindedness, and reject
others, then human beings are not worthy of the name of “crown of
creation,” and disasters, man-made or natural, will be unavoidable.
We
should transcend superficial differences and deeply live the experience
that we are one. The whole universe is one living entity.
We
mutually respect, love and cooperate with one another, setting
ourselves as a model of peace and harmony to show the whole world that
multiracial, multicultural, multifaith, harmony and peace is
achievable. The idea of the human race becoming one family is
attainable.
Sustainable Peace and Harmony Relies on Religious Education
Making
Toowoomba a model city of peace and harmony will require leadership and
guidance from each religion to realize peace and harmony. We hope to
establish a Good Will Committee in which religious leaders can come
together on a regular basis to exchange ideas and share viewpoints. By
participating in the religious activities held by other religions and
by helping others with their charitable work, we can share our mutual
wisdom, mutually learn from one another, and become one big family.
Sustainable
peace and harmony can only be built on the solid foundation of
religious education. In fact, religion initially was an education. The
word religion in Chinese is zongjiao. Zong means primary, important, and to be revered. Jiao means
education, teaching, and transformation. Hence, when the Chinese put
these two characters together, it means primary education, important
teaching, and a transformation to be revered. There are five elements
of an education: morality, virtue, causality, philosophy and science.
This kind of education is the medicine we need to correct peoples’
deviated mindsets, and to cure the problems we are facing in the world.
It is a prescription that the world urgently needs. Founders of each
religion were great educators. They all taught virtuous deeds such as
harmony, mutual help, loving kindness, and altruism.
Each
religion, based on equality and harmonious coexistence, should focus on
its educational aspects and delve deeply into the essence of its own
teachings. Each religion should share in the mission to assume the
responsibility in educating society and make our world a better place,
salvaging the declining social morals and upholding proper values of
our society. Should we be able to do so, the saints and sages would be
touched by what we have done and with their blessing, there would be
fewer disasters for Toowoomba, and for our earth. With peace and
harmony achieved among religions, then peace and harmony among ethnic
groups, political parties, and countries will follow.
Religious
organizations have one more vital task—we all need to nurture more
teachers to help promote our own religions, to carry on the sacred
teachings. I would like to suggest, first of all, to set up a
Postgraduate Centre of Multifaith and Multicultural Education Research
to train religious teachers for each religion.
With
a good number of religious teachers available, we can then establish a
Multifaith University to provide courses to the public in the five
elements mentioned before: morality, virtue, causality, philosophy and
science to further our pursuit of fostering future religious teachers
from a wider community. The teachers should sincerely follow the motto
of “Learn to be a teacher and act as a role model for all.”
These
teachers would also practice the teachings of the sages and saints in
their daily life. Not only will they delve deeply into the teachings of
their own religions, they will also humbly learn from other religions.
Later in life, in teaching their own faiths, they will be teaching
their followers to treat other religious followers with equality,
harmony, mutual respect, and mutual cooperation. Together, these
religious teachers will safeguard and make sustainable the fruit of
peace and harmony in society.
Future Influences and Expectations
When
Toowoomba is successful in becoming a model city of peace and harmony,
we should share our experiences with others. We hope to organize an
annual get-together and demonstrate to the world our ideals, our
experiences, our methods and also our achievements. We would like to
welcome people from all over Australia, and from around the world.
People, who share the same vision to build peaceful and harmonious
cities, to come to Toowoomba and witness the achievements with their
own eyes, to help them gain practical insights and inspiration, thus
helping them to achieve peace and harmony where they live.
If
we could make Toowoomba a model city of peace and harmony, then the
high standards of achievement could be sustained for over one year, we
will set up a satellite television station here. The station will
broadcast the continuous-learning way of life of the Toowoomba people
to the whole world so they will see the true marvel of living in peace
and harmony. By that time, people around the world would all want to
learn from the experiences of Toowoomba. They would want to come and
visit. Many may even want to immigrate here. Toowoomba would certainly
become more and more prosperous.
In
turn, people all over the world would feel more and more strongly about
the benefits of peace and harmony. They would become increasingly
conscientious of their own purity of mind; they would treat others more
equally and harmoniously. When the majority of the human race shares
such kind thoughts and mindsets, there will be fewer natural and
man-made disasters, and in the end we will be able to eliminate them
all together.
The
power of “setting a model example for others” is enormous. King Tang in
ancient China was able to rule in harmony all the tribes within 35
kilometers of his kingdom. His deeds have been praised and highly
regarded as the model for governing a country. His way was sought and
learned by people all over in China. It was the direct reason for a
long period of peace and harmony in Chinese history.
Likewise,
Toowoomba, the model city of peace and harmony, will inspire and
encourage people around the world, and help them to act and turn more
and more cities around the world into model cities of peace and
harmony. This is also the wish that has been in the heart of our mayor
for many years. If this wish could be achieved during his term of
office, it would be an auspicious achievement. The initial positive
effect from such a model city would be emanated gradually. It would
grow to become more multilateral, and in the end, we would witness a
holistic and complete transformation. It would transform the chaotic
world by making it a peaceful place and restore the wounded earth back
to a healthy planet.
As
an old Chinese proverb says, “Actions speaks louder than words.” Today,
we are here to discuss the plan to make Toowoomba a model city of peace
and harmony. Later, when we leave our seats, let us use true actions to
move forward in great strides towards our vision.
I sincerely wish that the building of Toowoomba into a model city of peace and harmony will be a great success.
I sincerely wish all of you the best, good health, and happiness.
Chin Kung AM
Honorary PhD, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University, Indonesia
Honorary PhD, University of Southern Queensland, Griffith University, Australia
President, Pure Land Learning College Association, Inc., Australia
President, Hong Kong Buddhist Education Foundation, Ltd., Hong Kong
Honorary Professor, Griffith University, Australia
Honorary Professor, University of Queensland, Australia
Visiting Professor, People’s University of China, China
Trustee and Professor, Shandon University, China
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