The Role of Spirituality in Society

Dharma Master Hsin Tao
Abbot: Wu-sheng Monastery, Ling-jiou Mountain, Taiwan
Founder: Museum of World Religions, Taipei
               Global Family for Love and Peace

When discussing the role of spirituality in society, we have to first ask ourselves what the problems is our society is facing?  How can spirituality address these problems? What can it do for society?

In fact, the propagation of spiritual values is of great importance to society.  In our global societies, in which the desire for the material clouds our value-system, morality alone is no longer able to stabilize people’s hearts and minds.  Moreover, different cultures have different moral value judgments.

Therefore, only a spirituality that transcends morality makes true virtue possible. The propagation of spiritual values is the only way we can counteract the manipulation and instability of the human heart and mind.  Spiritual development leads us on the right path: in the confusion caused by the overexposure to information in our materialistic societies, a life based on spirit will return us to simplicity, purity and beauty.
           
Before I speak about global values, I would like to reflect together with you on some of the problems that we face together as a global society.  Globalization and its problems are connected to the rapid development of information technology and modern means of travel. The globalization of democratic ideas has contributed to the raising of ethnic consciousness among many peoples.  The root of many present conflicts, therefore, is the attempt of ethnic groups to separate from other, “different” ethnic groups to become independent.
           
Also, with economic globalization, many countries, together with transnational corporations, misuse politics, ethnicity or even religion to create conflicts. The imbalance in the development of the global economy leads to an ever-increasing gap between rich and poor countries and contributes to social instability within the countries themselves. 

Due to this rapid economic development and the constant opening up of new markets, competition at the workplace has become very intense.  More and more people are seduced into consuming what they cannot afford.  Material desires and the inability of many people to control themselves creates huge pressure on individuals.  Unable to cope with these new realities, they look for ways to escape, and these attempts to escape easily develops into depression, which in turn can lead to a very tragic consequence, suicide.
           
These types of things happen when our spiritual power of awakening is not strong enough, when we become so confused by outward things and phenomena that we are no longer able to keep our heart and mind balanced.  I come from Taiwan, the most technologically advanced island in the world.  In Taiwan, an average of three people commit suicide every hour.  And in mainland China, a country that has undergone the most rapid development, a hundred million people are affected by mental problems,  roughly the population of Mexico.  I think that depression is a cultural illness that affects many other countries as well.

Another problem of concern is the Internet. More and more people, especially the youth, spend a great part of their lives in a virtual world.  Many lose the ability to distinguish between what is real and what is not, and the power to choose for themselves. Apart from problems like illegal copying, pornography and internet hackers, the most serious problem is the absence of a clear demarcation line between morality and immorality, which in turns leads to a confused value system.  The most important way to address the origin of that confusion is the development of spiritual values.
           
Seen from the perspective of a religious spirituality, all the problems that human beings face are connected to two factors: The first one is our mental attitude – our state of mind – causing political standpoints ethnic and cultural discrimination, and religious conflicts.  All of these are founded on opposition and hate produced by our way of thinking.  The second factor is the combination of greed and desire, and is related to the market economy on which we base our work and lifestyles.

How can we address these two basic problems: 1) Our way of thinking and 2) greed and desire through spiritual development? How can we transform them? How can we make positive contributions to society?

Based on my own experience and understanding, the fact that I am able to make some contribution to society today and that I will continue to do so in the future is related to my practice of Zen-Meditation over many years. The practice of Zen made me realize that I am inseparable from all other living beings; this experience brought out a spirit of compassion, love and wisdom in me, as well as the wish to help all others to overcome suffering and attain happiness.

The practice of Zen lets us tap into the life energy of the universe. This is because all beings together form one body of life.  The positive thought of wanting to help others lets us tap into this great-shared energy.

This spirit is a treasure that all of us possess.  On the spiritual level, no barrier or harm exists between spirit and spirit.  But we have to awaken this spirit and develop it.  But how is this to be done? How can we stop being lost in the maze of incessant and confusing information and return to our pure spiritual home?

A propagation of a traditional view of moral values is ineffective today because so many people are lost in the self-centeredness of our times. But the practice of Zen-meditation can bring about an inner transformation. It settles our heart and mind; it restores our inner balance and harmony.  And starting from that inner harmony, we can set out to create harmony in the outer world.

If we can awaken to the fact that you and I, that Self and others, form one spiritual body of life, then we can very actively engage ourselves in spreading spiritual values and virtues.  We do our best to become angels and bodhisattvas of great compassion who save from all suffering, like Bodhisattva Guanyin.  When we let these angels and bodhisattvas fill our hearts, we will all together become one “Global Family for Love and Peace.”