Abbott President attended the International Conference on Cohesive Societies (ICCS) in Singapore
From June 19 to 21, at the invitation of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University, Abbott President Ven. Guo Huei attended the inaugural International Conference on Cohesive Societies (ICCS) at the Raffles City Convention Centre in Singapore. The conference tackled the idea of “Many Communities, One Shared Future”, and nearly 1,000 government representatives, scholars and leaders of various ethnic groups from 40 countries and 250 organizations gathered to seek for dialogues to foster greater harmony in societies in this current world filled with racial, religious and cultural conflicts. On the afternoon of June 20, during the first session “What We Believe (Faith)”, the Abbott President spoke on the topic of “Religious Belief and World Peace” from the perspective of Chinese Chan Buddhism.
Speaking on behalf of Chinese Chan Buddhism, urging international societies to seek common ground while reserving differences and appreciating the beauty in harmony. “The world is undergoing major, all-encompassing changes; though the future ahead is unpredictable, we could still draw strength from our present. Reflection and action now will surely benefit the world to come.” In his speech, all addressed in English, the Abbott President also drew on, DDM founder, Master Ven. Sheng Yen’s past efforts on world peace, sharing the wisdom of Chinese Chan Buddhism with the international society : (1) We are all part of this community of life, this mutually dependent global village; (2) Values such as mutual respect, love for each other, understanding and tolerance, cherishing of life etc. are universally shared by all religions; (3) The purpose of having discussions is to seek common ground while accommodating differences; (4) Close cooperation among religions can avert or mitigate conflicts between ethnic groups and nations; (5) Aspiring for world peace and happiness through mitigating conflicts and wars with compassion and wisdom.
He also pointed out that different religions are just like the fingers of a same hand, all connecting to the palm yet varying in length. Similarly, as we all share this world, we should not split apart and cause conflict; rather, we should stay united and work together so as to bring prosperity and happiness to all societies. In a time like this, religions play an especially crucial role, guiding people to properly cope with impermanence, rather than responding with anger or other negative emotions.
“We sincerely appeal to all to honor the universal value in virtues such as respect, attentiveness, communication and learning so as to ensure that mankind is treated equally and free to express their personal opinions, views and beliefs” The Abbott President stated that the objective of discussion should not be to change a person’s religious belief or imply that one’s beliefs are superior to others.
“The objective of having discussions is to seek common ground while reserving differences. That is to say, we should not try to eliminate differences among religions, but rather we should strive to foster their common values and principles, while strengthening our efforts to find paths to peaceful coexistence and cooperation between civil societies.”
This inaugural conference organized by Singapore captured the attention of political and intellectual leaders from all over the world as well as religious organizations and youth leaders. Singapore President, Halimah Yacob personally attended the opening ceremony, while the keynote speech was delivered by the King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, His Majesty King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein. Religious organizations from around the world were also in attendance, representing religions like Buddhism, Catholicism, Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Taoism, Japanese Shintoism etc.
In addition to the discussion on “Faith” attended by different religious leaders, “Identity” and “Cohesion” were also topics for discussion among the different ethnic groups and cultures. On top of that, the organizers also encouraged participants to actively utilize internet forums and social media apps to broadcast and share the positive information with the world.
Notes
Venerable Guo Huei noted that we depend on each other for survival. The starting point of any interfaith discussion should not be based on the assumption that one’s belief is the one true way of the world, but by recognizing the richness of other traditions. Respect, a universal value of all religions, is needed to ensure all are equally treated and equally invested in solutions. Seeking common ground is not to deny existing differences, but to ensure peaceful coexistence and cooperation. He urged people to find common ground and then discuss solutions, so that humanity as a whole can mitigate potential conflicts.