Global Trends and Holiness of I-Kuan-Dao 世界趨勢及一貫道之殊勝性/嚴國銘

Ⅰ.The three mainstream thoughts of I-Kuan-Tao
一貫道之主軸思想

1. The Dharma of Three treasures 三寶心法 (三寶治「性」)
a.Heavenly Portal (關):性 eternality
b.Heavenly Password (訣):心 space→ time (past→present)
c.Heavenly Covenant (印):身 time(a day)→ every moment (當下)

2. Confucianism 儒家思想 (儒家治「心」)
(1) The three main characters and thoughts of Confucianism
a.Confucius:Ren (In the broader sense:including all virtues; In the narrower sense:love,people,benevolence)
孔子:仁 (廣義: 總括一切德目; 狹義: 愛、人) (中庸:仁者人也;仁者愛人)
Love parents → Xiao,孝,filial piety
Love brothers → Ti,悌,brotherly love
Love king or love yourself (盡已之心) → Zhong,忠,loyalty
Love others (推已及人) → Shu,恕,forgiveness
Love friends → Xian,信,trustworthiness
b.Mencius:Yi (appropriateness, righteousness, principle)
孟子:義 (宜,正當,道理) (中庸:義者宜也)
c.Hsun-tzu:Li (In the broader sense: order; narrower sense:rites)
荀子:禮 (廣義: 節度秩序→理→義;狹義: 禮儀)
兄弟之義→悌 brotherly love; 朋友之義→信 trustworthiness;
君臣之義→忠 loyalty (關公 Law Buddha Guan)
(2) The relationship between the three
a.Ren & Yi. 仁與義
Mencius: With a benevolent heart to do righteous things.
孟子 居仁由義 (仁者,人心也;義者,人路也)
b.Ren & Li 仁與禮
Ren is to introspect oneself according to Li. 克己復禮為仁。
If a man is without Ren, what can he do with Li. 人而不仁如禮何?
c.Yi & Li 義與禮 (The center of Li is Yi, 攝禮歸義)
Yi is the essence of Li, and it means the judgment from Ren.
義:禮之實質 本諸仁心的事理判斷。
Li is the performance of Yi, and it means the behaviors that are from Ren, and correspond with Yi.
禮:義之表現 本諸仁,合於義的行為表現。
d.Ren & Yi & Li 仁與義與禮
Benevolence is the characteristic element of humanity, and the great exercise of it is in loving relatives. Righteousness is the accordance of actions with what is right, and the great exercise of it is in honoring the worthy. The decreasing measures of the love due to relatives, and the steps in the honor due to the worthy, are produced by the principle of propriety.
中庸:仁者人也,親親為大; 義者宜也,尊賢為大。親親之殺,尊賢之等,禮所生也。望天下有三重焉,其寡過矣夫!

3. Vegetarianism 素食主義 (素食治「身」)
(1)The definition of Love:
a.Empathy同理心:Understand people (瞭解他人)
b.Sympathy同情心:Feel sad for them (為他人傷感)
c.Compassion慈悲心:(慈:give them happiness予樂;悲:Relieve their pains 拔苦 )
(2) Three perspectives for being an vegetarian:
a.Love animals (愛動物):Love all sentient beings (愛諸有情眾生)
b.Love environment (愛環境):Even love non-sentient beings. (甚而愛諸無情眾生)
c.Love ourselves (愛自己):For your mental and physical health. (為自我身、心健康)

Ⅱ.Global Trends and the Holiness of I-Kuan-Dao
世界趨勢及一貫道之殊勝性

1. Farsightedness 前瞻性
Our Dao society values Confucianism and vegetarianism before they have become the
world trend. (Actually, many people despised them before.)
道場在儒家思想及素食主義成為世界趨勢前,便已重視之。

2. All-roundedness 全面性
a.The Dharma of Three Treasures is for people’s spirit.
b.Confucianism is for people’s mind.
c.Vegetarianism is for people’s body.
d.If people’s spirits, minds, and bodies are all saved, the aspiration of “the World of Da-tong” will not only be a dream. 三寶治「性」,儒家治「心」,素食治「身」,若眾生性、心、身皆渡,則大同世界之理想可成。
3.Importance 重要性
There are many world trends now, and Confucianism and vegetarianism are two of the
most influential thoughts:
a.Confucianism: it will improve people’s values, behaviors, social order, and even international ethical principles.
儒家可改善人們的價值及行為、社會秩序、國際道德。
b.Vegetarianism: it makes people healthier, reduce the use of resource, and let them more care animals and environment.
素食可使人們更健康,減少資源使用,並更關心動物及環境。

Ⅲ.Three dimensions of Dao propagation
傳道三面向

1. 向上學術化 which means introduce Dao to academia
Our Dao society is preparing to run graduate schools for the academic study of Dao.
道場現正籌備一貫道研修學院。
2.水平國際化 which means introduce Dao to the world.
Learn Dao English well for teaching Chinese and running vegetarian restaurants for Dao
propagation overseas.
學好道,學英語,並在海外教中文,開素食餐館,以拓展海外道務。
3.向下在地化 which means introduce Dao to local community.
Most Children Classics-reading Classes and vegetarian cafeterias are run by our Dao
members.
大部分的兒童讀經班及素食小吃店仍由道親所設立。