“Those who hear the name of Manjusri or see Manjusri will never
fall into evil. Those who intone the name of Manjusri will not fall
into the hell of Avicinaraka even if he/she bears heavy karma.
They will go to a pure land and study Buddhist teaching.”
∼ Manjusri Parinirvana Sutra ∼
It is my pleasure to welcome you to the “Peace and Harmony – The Divine Spectra of Manjusri enshrining the Wisdom of China with 108 pieces of Manjusri and related artifacts” exhibition to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China. Thank you for showing your support to the spirit of “wisdom” that is being showcased at this event. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr. Tsang Tak Sing, JP, Secretary for Home Affairs of the Hong Kong Special Administration Region, The Most Ven. Kok Kwong, GBS, President of the Hong Kong Buddhist Association, Consuls-General, government officials, and all prominent guests including those from the Mainland, notably Mr. Jiang Jian Yong, Vice-Minister of the State Administration for Religious Affairs of PRC, and overseas for attending the opening ceremony. You made the occasion dear and memorable.
As a follow-up to the first exhibition of the “Peace and Harmony” series, “Peace and Harmony – The Divine Spectra of Avalokitesvara from Tibet, China” held in 2007, which featured men's natural desire for love, peace and harmony and inspired us to live our lives with compassion, this year's exhibition takes “wisdom” as its theme.
108 Pieces of Manjusri and 108 Related Artifacts
With “wisdom” as the theme, we have decided to select treasures that symbolize China's wisdom and name the exhibition “Peace and Harmony – The Divine Spectra of Manjusri enshrining the Wisdom of China” which will exhibit 108 pieces of Manjusri and 108 related artifacts. In the Exhibition, exquisite statues of Manjusri, Jambhalas, ritual implements in the Esoteric Buddhism and other relevant treasures will be displayed. Through the artifacts, we are not only stunned by the profound passion and wisdom of religious artisans, as revealed by the magnificent, almost magical, craftsmanship, but also reminded to ponder over and be enlightened – do we practise wisdom in a positive way, or do we abuse wisdom and use it to cheat, steal, invade, or to take advantage of others? Do we really see wisdom? Are we dumb enough to help bring the end of the planet we live on, by polluting it in return for short-term, personal benefits? As much as we declare that we do care for our posterity, are we in fact acting in a way, though unconsciously, that make them suffer from the vicious consequences? Perhaps we can look to this exhibition to provide a clue to the situation.
Manjusri, the God of Kings
People may ask: why Manjusri? Historically, Emperors in China believed that they were the reincarnations of Manjusri, the apotheosis of transcendental wisdom, and it was with the wisdom and strength enshrined in them that they were capable of ruling the world and bringing peace, harmony, and happiness to their people.
It is my hope that visitors of the Exhibition will be able to rediscover that human nature has a natural desire for peace and harmony. We should use our wisdom to read the true cause of wars in human history. True wisdom is the acceptance of differences and the harmonization among different people and different nations. Manjusri, as the God of Wisdom, will remind all of us that regardless of race, ethnicity, or colour, true wisdom is peace, harmony, happiness, love and compassion. People in this world need to truly accept one another so that we can all live happily in peace and harmony – that is what this exhibition is all about.
In ancient times, only those who possessed profound wisdom could be respected as a king, for the wisdom of a king is actually the “kingship” that one carries and radiates. Now what adds up to this “kingship”? It is built on morals, ethics, benevolence and righteousness, the unparalleled human values that win the hearts of the whole world. Wisdom is not directly correlated to wealth and social status; it is found in people with cultured manners and respect for others. Wisdom is hardly seen in those who prey on other people's possessions or other countries' territories. Acts of aggression will only cause strong resistance, which will lead to war and tremendous loss of lives for all parties. Throughout history, many Chinese emperors were blessed with the wisdom of Manjusri to strive for prosperity for the nation, hence peace and harmony for the people.
Harmony Brings Wealth
The Chinese saying from Bodhisattva Manjusri's teaching, “Harmony brings wealth” is philosophical, yet awfully true. Getting angry will gain you nothing but high blood pressure, which is clearly detrimental to your health, not to mention that it can even be fatal. It is through wisdom that people get to understand one another, and through the interaction of arts and culture that people get to appreciate each other's artistic attainments. It is through our pair of hands, enriched with diligence and determination, that we make dreams come true. It is probably not an exaggeration to call the excellence that is manifested in these majestic artifacts a “work of magic”. It is with wisdom that we can protect these works of magic, the legacy of our ancestors and the world, and by joining hands, we can strive to reduce pollution and destruction of all kinds. Wisdom also advocates education, training, lifetime learning, and by and large, a well-rounded individual. Wisdom can only be properly put to use with sound knowledge, good health and hard work. With wisdom, there is no sickness that cannot be healed, and no adversity that cannot be conquered.
Be Positive
We have come across a number of financial crises. With Manjusri's wisdom, we have had no problem overcoming these difficulties and getting back on track.
Handling challenges with a positive attitude is the key to problem solving. While plenty of people are affected by the recent economic turbulence, let's not lose our positive attitudes. We need to work together to survive this testing time.
Our determination, confidence, and hard work together with the profound wisdom of Manjusri, contribute towards a pool of blessings, power and passion, which drives us to build a beautiful world and a better tomorrow.
Pay Heed to Nature, Protect the Earth
One of the main elements of true Manjusri wisdom is to work with Nature, that is, to conform to the conditions and rules that exist naturally. The Buddhist scripture categorically pointed out that we have to protect the planet we are living in and stop damaging its conditions and natural rules. We must stop polluting the air, oceans, lakes and soil immediately.
Now, please take a moment to look back on what we have done to protect the Earth. Have we tried our best to save energy? What is the amount of chemicals we have consumed? What have we done to reduce pollution created by cars and machinery? How about over exploitation of the land? Global warming has caused a massive increase in the water level and it is pointing towards possible global disasters. Wisdom has driven us to be mindful of environmental protection, and one way is to live on vegetarian diets, which is an environmental-friendly lifestyle that helps to reduce global warming.
How can we save the planet by adopting a vegetarian diet? In fact, a total of 36.4 kg of carbon dioxide is created in order to produce and sell 1kg of beef, which adds up to one-fifth of the total carbon dioxide produced in the whole world, exceeding the total carbon dioxide produced by air, marine and land transportation combined. Feeding on meat is therefore equivalent to producing greenhouse gases. Moreover, it is not uncommon for people to hunt down forests so as to create flat land for farms. With the speed that forests are disappearing at now, all rainforests will be extinct within forty years, hence further speeding up global warming. Feeding on meat is therefore equivalent to exploiting resources of the Earth. The resources involved in growing grains, vegetables and fruits add up to only 3% that of raising livestock.
Peace and Harmony between Man and Nature
Chinese culture as we learned from Bodhisattva Manjusri
emphasizes wisdom descended from our ancestors and
peace and harmony between man and Nature.
After billion years of exploration, by analyzing the experiences that humans have accumulated by living on planet Earth, our ancestors have derived plenty of valuable doctrines on how to live in peace and harmony with Nature, for example, the way humans should handle their bodies during different seasons so as to maintain good health. We tend not to realize that we work against Nature, e.g. changing summer into winter and winter into summer by turning on the air-conditioning; or wrapping ourselves with a hot blanket all night long to keep warm? How about staying up all night and then fighting yourself to get up in the morning? While all animals live according to the rules of Nature, humans never cease to try to overpower Nature, thus, resulting in increasing diseases and sicknesses that we have never heard of before. Not only does it reveal the fact that humans paying a price for what we do, but also prove the power of wisdom that our ancestors have derived.
With increasing pressure from work, it is very common for people to feel stressed, unfulfilled and incomplete. Anxiety, suspicion and fear bother people and they are spreading at full speed in our society. It is always easier to heal a body than a soul. To get to know Chinese culture and history, to learn from our ancestors who followed the wisdom of Bodhisattva Manjusri and to apply their findings to our lives, may help bring bliss and contentment.
Tune in with the Environment
When it comes to handling mental problems, it is very common for the physician to look into the patient's background, family, education, interpersonal skills, etc. and work out a clinical analysis and prescription. Yet more abstract factors such as karma, spirit, environment, feng shui, magnetic fields, etc. may come into play. Wisdom can deal with all of them, and learning from Bodhisattva Manjusri is helpful.
To raise the ability to cope with new challenges, to observe changes and derive explanations, hence solutions, to relate new information with past experience, to accommodate, to create, to make sensible decisions by relating personal abilities with practical factors... wisdom is mission-oriented. It is not passive power that we have to use to make us work with the environment, it is the mental power to create, change, and make the environment to work with us. It is wisdom that leads humans to tune in with the environment and achieve perfect harmony. It is from our teacher Bodhisattva Manjusri that we learn wisdom.
Understand the Secrets of the Universe
The same applies to the well-respected monks and prestigious figures in Chinese history. No matter what you want to be – a well-respected person, a significant social figure, even an average and honest person… the only way out is to dispense with unintelligent thoughts and pursue wisdom.
People may misinterpret an intelligent mind as wisdom. However, there are quick-minded people who do not have any wisdom to distinguish the good from the bad and to realize the truth, but instead try to achieve their personal objectives by subjective judgment, wild imagination, temper, greed…This is in fact very dangerous – if our only aim is to satisfy ourselves, even at the expense of others, the world would soon be overwhelmed with hostility, crime and confusion. A person that possesses true wisdom should be able to tell right from wrong, to understand the true meaning of lives, to transcend from the meaningless pursuit of wealth and fame…to fight for righteousness and compassion for all.
Benevolence and Righteousness
The worst criminals on Earth are the evildoers that upset social harmony. They are among the greatest minds of the human race, but they only look after their own interests and disregard others. They treasure wealth but have no interest in benevolence and righteousness. They enjoy physical fulfillment but not spiritual development. As this kind of mindset prevails, the world gets increasingly chaotic. If intelligence is not cultured with wisdom, it will only set fire to the person who owns it and in turn, to the whole world. A person with wisdom instinctively practises benevolence and righteousness and fights for the welfare of others.
With the “Peace and Harmony – The Divine Spectra of Manjusri enshrining the Wisdom of China with 108 pieces of Manjusri and related artifacts” exhibition, I wish to bring forward the sublime wisdom that is beneficial to all. Wisdom is not only a treasure of life, the way to become Buddha, but also the key to the profound understanding of life. While we do not cease to enhance our worldly wisdom, in order to improve our lives, we also have to pursue spiritual wisdom, that is, the sublime wisdom, so as to equip ourselves with the sword of wisdom, to uncover the secrets of life, to conquer the hard times, to extend our power in achieving our life mission, to reinforce the true beauty of human Nature, to be truthful and fulfilled, to overcome recurring suffering, to joyfully complete the process of the transmigration of the soul and to eventually enter Heaven and achieve eternal life through enlightenment.
Gain Blessings by Intoning Manjusri
Manjusri is sapient and compassionate. It is easy to receive his blessings at the Exhibition. As stated in Manjusri Parinirvana Sutra, “Those who hear the name of Manjusri or see Manjusri will never fall into evil. Those who intone the name of Manjusri will not fall into the hell of Avicinaraka even if he/she bears heavy karma. They will go to a pure land and study Buddhist teaching.” In addition, Chapter 2 of Ratna Karandavyuha Sutra says, “The satisfaction of indulging in all the wealth and prosperity on Earth is nothing comparable to the fulfillment and bliss obtained by intoning Manjusri.”
“The satisfaction of indulging in all the wealth and prosperity on Earth is nothing comparable to the fulfillment and bliss obtained by intoning Manjusri.”
∼ Ratna Karandavyuha Sutra ∼
At the last exhibition of Avalokitesvara, visitors benefited immensely through the blessings derived from reciting the holy name of “Avalokitesvara”. The holy name of Manjusri and respect as described by The Lotus Sutra will bring even more immediate return in this life. Return is immediate. In the Prologue that follows, you will be immediately blessed with the opportunity to share yet another king of sutra which was only added to the exhibits at the last minute.
By joining hands with all of you, I wish to turn the planet we live on into a land of peace, harmony, and happiness. May the ever-suffering lives be nourished with eternal joy and dazzling wisdom.
Last but not least, may I take this opportunity to wish you all kindness, wisdom, health, and a prosperous future. Enlightenment in this life. Allieu dharma! Peace to all beings.
Paul Kan
10 October 2009
Note: Dr. Paul Kan, CBE, Comm OSSI, Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur, SBS, JP is Chairman of Champion Technology Holdings Limited; Kantone Holdings Limited; DIGITALHONGKONG.COM; A Better Tomorrow; Chinese World Cultural Heritage Foundation; and World Cultural Relics Protection Foundation, all of which are the Organizers and Sponsors of the Exhibition.
