宗博季刊第91期

18 創辦人的話 自心清淨 守護佛國 AWord From the Founder 我 和緬甸淵源很深。我出生在緬甸，在緬 甸經歷過戰亂，也在這個佛的文化古 國，開始認識佛法。我差不多到台灣三十年 後，才有機會回到緬甸， 1993 年我回到緬甸參 訪許多聖地與成就者。對修行者來說，緬甸的 環境真像是個世外桃源，只要是佛教徒，都會 想盡辦法保護這塊佛國淨土，讓這裡的修行傳 統一直永續流傳。 緬甸上座部佛教傳統是佛陀留下來最珍貴 的文化瑰寶，在面對西方列強和種種改革開放 的浪潮中，有人看到當前開放對緬甸的衝擊， 也擔心西方文化對傳統造成的威脅。西方報導 常帶著西方觀點與功利開發的高姿態來看緬 甸，把她視為落後或民族擾動的國度。但是， 所有佛教徒都知道緬甸人文的珍貴在於全國上 下奉行佛法，從佛陀在世至今未曾中斷過，緬 甸千年來固守住佛陀的資產，不管政治環境如 何變遷，她的文化就是抵禦外在潮流的精闢武 器與強大力量。 這兩個月份，宗博館正在特展緬甸文化， 靈鷲山上正邀請來自緬甸國家巴利大學副校長 鳩摩羅尊者來駐錫講座巴利聖典的五部尼柯 耶，惟今我們在緬甸仰光的法成就寺禪修中心 及臘戌弄曼農場的計畫，都將繼續推動發揚佛 陀尊貴的教育傳承，因為，那不僅是世人最需 要的精神資糧，也是緬甸送給世人的，最美好 的禮物。 Purifying the Mind Preserving the Buddha Land I have a deep connection with Myanmar. Myanmar is where I was born and where I experienced the chaos of war; this ancient Buddhist nation is also where I first came to learn about the Buddha-dharma. I came to Taiwan while still a boy, and it was only in 1993—some three decades later—that I finally had an opportunity to return to Myanmar. During my trip I met with a number of eminent Buddhists and visited a large number of sacred sites. From the perspective of formal practice, Myanmar is a kind of Buddhist paradise, where every Buddhist takes the preservation and propagation of the Buddha’s teaching as a personal duty. The The r avada Buddh i s t t r ad i t i on i s Myanmar’s most precious cultural treasure. Yet, some are concerned that the integrity and long-term viability of this ancient tradition is being undermined by the rising tide of Western cultural imperialism. From the materialistic Western point of view, Myanmar is a backward country in dire need of economic development and political reform. However, from the perspective of the nation’s Buddhist majority, Myanmar is a treasure trove of Buddhist heritage which stretches all the way back to the time of the Buddha. Despite the continual changes in the political environment over the centuries, Myanmar has always managed to preserve its Buddhist culture, and this is the nation’s greatest line of defense against cultural imperialism. Over the next two months the MWR is holding a special exhibition on the culture of Myanmar. During the same time, Venerable Ashin Kumara Thera, a renowned Pali scholar from Myanmar, will be giving a series of teachings on the scriptures of Theravada Buddhism. Also, in Myanmar itself we are continuing to support the preservation and propagation of Buddhism through two long-term projects—the Dhamma Wun-tha Kyaung Thit Meditation Center in Yangon, and the Naung Moon Farm near Lashio. Indeed, Myanmar’s ancient Buddhist heritage is a precious gift to be shared with the entire world.