How do you see the future of
Wang Lixiong:
I am not a religious believer, hence I cannot see the future from the point of view of predestination, nor can I hope for the intervention of some mysterious forces. Generally speaking my view of the future is pessimistic – for
From a sociological perspective, it is unavoidable for an agnostic to harbor hopes that religion can change the tragic future of humanity, and to give one meaning in life. Although I’m not very confident of such a future, I do really hope that religion can be a means to halt the pessimistic progression of things. I have a heartfelt belief that if religion can have such an effect on the future, then Tibetan Buddhism will definitely be one of the major forces. Interestingly enough, the biggest group of people that Tibetan Buddhism will help are the Chinese people who have given the Tibetans the most pain and misery. Whenever I think about this I can feel the ocean-like compassion of the Buddha, and understand the bodhisattva spirit, which causes one to personally go down to hell to liberate the beings suffering there.
回答某西方佛教杂志的问题:
我不是一个宗教信徒,因此无法从命定的角度看待未来,也无法指望某种冥冥的力量。总体来说,我对未来是悲观的,对西藏是这样,对中国是这样,对人类也是这样。这悲观是基于理性的,从眼下现实沿着逻辑往下推,似乎很难有别样的结果,那种悲观结果对理性而言,显示的只有人类存在的无意义与荒诞。
这就使无神论者免不了要从社会学意义对宗教产生一些期盼,希望能靠宗教改变人类的悲惨未来,并给人以生存的意义。我虽对这样的前景信心不足,但也确实希望能够以此截断通向悲观的逻辑脉络。而且我个人十分相信,如果宗教真能在未来起到如此作用,西藏佛教一定是其中最为重要的一支力量。奇特的是,西藏佛教在未来会去拯救的一个最大人群,恰恰可能就是曾给藏民族造成最多苦难的中国人。我无法从宗教的体系对此进行解释,但即使作为一个俗人,每每想到这点,我就会感受到佛之浩瀚如海的慈悲,以及什么是以自身下地狱来普度众生的菩提道精神。
王力雄