[第二届世界佛教论坛论文集]科学、信息科技与佛教传播

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摘自《无量香光网文章集锦》

●[第二届世界佛教论坛论文集]科学、信息科技与佛教传播
科学、信息科技与佛教传播
内容摘要：信息科技似乎在一夜之间席卷我们生活中的每个角落。在发达国家，不管在任何领域，它目标明确地要改变我们生活中的每一个细节。新的信息科技要求我们不仅要以一种新的思维来传播和弘扬佛法，更要以一种新的方式来聚合网上学佛社群、提供给社会大众一种新的社会价值和精神食粮。本文拟首先探讨现代科学与宗教之间的关系，然后解读信息科技对佛教的重要性和对佛教传播的影响，最后作者试图为信息科技给佛教组织和个体带来的负面作用寻求答案。
关键词：科学　信息科技　佛教传播　媒体素养
科学与宗教之间的关系远比人们想象的要复杂的多。在西方社会，天主教为科学的奠定和发展做出过很大的贡献，但是，科学的发展使它本身成为天主教最大的敌人。在启蒙世纪之前，宗教是支配社会最主要的力量，真理牢牢掌握在教会手中，任何事情的对错都取决于教会的态度(何建民，1998，p.159-163)。比如，教会说地球是宇宙的中心，任何人对此提出质疑或反对，都会受到象哥白尼和伽利略们那样的惩罚。但是，严酷的惩罚并没有阻挡人们探寻真理的愿望，科学和理性的壮大，使人们更加清楚的认识自己和世界。自17世纪起，在公众的压力之下，天主教内部的一些有识之士已经开始考虑展开宗教和现代科学之间对话的必要性(赵敦华，1995, p.635)。本文拟首先探讨现代科学与宗教之间的关系，然后解读信息科技对佛教的重要性和对佛教传播的影响，最后试图为信息科技给佛教组织和个体带来的负面作用寻求答案。
“甲午战争” (1894-1895)战败之后，中国社会出现了一种学习西方科技、政治和民主法制的呼声，当时，严复、康有为、梁启超、章太炎、孙中山等极力鼓吹科学技术对建立一个强大国家的重要性(何建民，1998，p.166)。不幸的是，后来，这种呼声走向了极端：用科学、艺术、哲学代替宗教。新文化运动的先驱陈独秀先生就相信宗教是科学的敌人，对他来说，所有的宗教都是人类想象力的产物。“[它]既超脱客观之想象，复抛弃主观之理性，凭空构造，有假定而无实证 …… 当今浅化之民，有想象而无科学。宗教美文，皆想象时代之产物”(唐晓锋，2007，p.155)。其次，陈独秀从宗教创立的角度上推断它最终会消亡，他坚信科学是人类将来真实的信解行证，一切宗教，皆在废弃之列“真能决疑，厥惟科学。故余主张以科学带宗教，开拓吾人真实之信仰，虽缓终达”(陈独秀，1917)。
当然，陈独秀的宗教观建立在一个特殊的历史时期，20世纪初期，在西方列强的侵略和殖民化威胁之下，中国内忧外患，四分五裂，封建复辟时有发生。面对危机，中国知识分子相信是中国文化和政治制度造成了社会的萎缩和民众觉悟的迟钝，要想救中国，只有抛弃“旧文化”，接受西方科技和民主的洗礼，建立一种“新文化”。在陈独秀后期的主张中，他已经意识到宗教是旧文化的一部分，新文化的构建其实也不能没有它(陈独秀，1920)。
近些年来，中国经济的飞速发展刺激和保障了科技的发展，很多民众想知道佛教到底怎么看科学？王萌(2008，p.29)指出佛教和天主教其实在哲学、逻辑思维、伦理道德、人生观以及世界观上有着根本性的区别，这种对人类生命和世界的独特认知反而为佛教和科学之间的对话奠定了基础。黄夏年(2008，p.95)和杨曾文(2008，p. 141)也认为佛教从来就不是一个反科学的宗教，相反，佛教总是吸收科学经验和成果为自我的发展所用，这种对科学的开明态度不仅在当代中国，甚至可以追溯到古代印度。释圣严(1987，p.36-54)也相信佛教不同于科学，但是它非常科学，象菩萨所学的“五明”，其中“工巧明”和“医方明”就要求作为菩萨必须要掌握一定的工程技术和医药科学等。
上个世纪70年代，当计算机开始应用时，人们根本就没有想到它会成为今日社会的重要传播力量，甚至成为推动整个社会进步和信息科技日新月异的生力军。上世纪90年代，自英特网开始走进千家万户，走进社会的角角落落后，我们的生活方式发生了翻天覆地的变化，仅仅十多年的时间，对很多人来说，计算机和网络成为他们工作和生活中必不可少的东西，离开这两样东西，他们的工作和生活竟然会变得无所适从。任何领域已经不可能避开信息科技的触角，在发达国家，计算机的目标也似乎更加明确：它要改变我们生活中的每一个细节。创建信息平台，掌握、传输、储存、取舍信息在某种意义上已经成为未来社会物质发达和高质量生活的保证，不重视这方面的投入，似乎会有很严重的后果。
在2008年的联合国庆祝卫塞节大会上，与会代表一致认为，因特网的发展已经成为佛教僧侣和信众之间、僧侣和非信众之间、信众和信众之间、信众和非信众之间交流思想、对话、搜集数据、查询信息、开展网络教学等方面的重要工具。英文“佛教网”(Buddhanet)总监，澳大利亚新南威尔士的帕雅哇惹(Pannyavaro，2009)法师说，在当今世界里，新的信息科技要求我们不仅要以一种新的方式来传播和弘扬佛法，更要以一种新的方式来聚合网上学佛社群、提供给社会大众一种新的社会价值和精神食粮。
几乎在半个世界之前，McLuhan(1965，p.3-8)曾说媒介是一个信号，是对人的拓展。也许，他是在说任何媒介的个人或者社会结果其实是我们人自身的延续，任何新的进展或者发明也是我们人自身的发展。当今的新媒介如英特网，其实也是人自身的拓展，从一方面它促进了个体和社会的发展，但从另一方面它却制造了很多新的问题。在个人、组织和国家不断深入虚空间的同时，这些网上活动的安全性成为社会的新挑战。媒介，在这种意义上为犯罪或暴力活动创造了条件，这些虚空间的不利因素所衍生的暴力活动也直接对社会利益造成威胁(Hundley & Anderson，1995-1996, p.19)。另外，在网上建立的各种关系、虚拟身份、隐私、欺骗、剽窃、谣言、虚假新闻、更严重的象网上色情与赌博等这些都是学者、父母、学校甚至整个社会关注的焦点问题(Parks & Floyd, 2009)。
信息科技在争议中迅速发展着，寺院和僧团这时也面临着许多新的挑战。释圣凯(2008，p.147)曾发出这样的忧虑：网络时代的寺院，无论是在都市还是在深山老林，清静无为的寺院生活方式受到干扰，修道生活“失去了围墙”。而且，“人的隐身”导致“不说四众过”成为网络时代最难守持的戒律。他总结道：网络时代的佛教信仰具有“信仰心理冷漠化、信仰活动虚拟化、信仰群体小区化的倾向。”虽然，他没有明确详细说明这些网络时代的佛教信仰特征，但是我们不难理解他努力想唤醒佛教四众对网络给当代佛教所带来的冲击的关注，尤其像是邪师说法的盛行和“话语权”的混乱等问题。对他来说，佛教寺院和僧团应该在使用信息科技中找到一个平衡点以保持佛教清静和朴实的形象，否则，佛教自身会成为被讥嫌的对象。
话说回来，语言是人们日常生活中最基本的交流方式，不妄语、不花言巧语、不挑拨离间、不说粗话是佛教徒的修学日课，所以，毫无疑问，佛教需要一种佛教式的交流和传播方式。但是，佛陀不断提醒我们这个世界上没有一样事情是绝对的、永恒的、有“我”的，正是因为所有事物的生起都是因缘和合的产物，从这个角度来说世界上没有一个普遍适用的佛法来对治宇宙众生的烦恼，那么，也就没有一个普世适用的佛教传播方式来对应一个个不同的众生。在一个特定的时间和空间里，或许有一种或者数种适合某个个体的传播方式，但是随着外部环境的变化，传播的方式也随之会产生变化。佛教传播其实是一种相对性的传播，不管什么方式，如果能使人觉悟那就是最好的传播。
从这一点上来说，我个人认为，网络作为全球化的重要推手，它并不是真正把国家全球化，也不是把全球国家化，而是彻底将做为人这个个体全球化，并把全球事务纳入一个个普普通通民众的视野之下，佛教僧团和在家信众当然也不例外。由于这种将个体全球化的过程中，理论上每一个个体只要掌握一些基本的计算机技能，便都能在网络世界里平等地进行表达、交流和对话，首当其冲，传统佛教以僧团和寺院为传播中心的模式受到了影响。
以中国汉传佛教为例，自唐宋佛教丛林制度完善以降，佛教的弘扬和传播始终围绕着僧团和寺院展开，注重僧团素质，人才培养，讲经修学，经典翻译，并注重法统和师承，僧团的师徒之间、僧人与信众之间，基本上是一种面对面的交流方式。中国禅宗也基本上是以这种方式延续和光大。观机逗教，因人施教，不拘泥于教条主义，使禅宗学人在生活中、在言行举止、待人接物中得到悟处。根据Conze(1951，p. 6)的观点，佛教禅宗曾说我们看到的所有东西都是虚假的，他们虚假是因为我们运用了语言去描述他们。“那些常说的人并不懂得，那些懂得的人常常不说”，在禅宗来说，沉默不会隐藏真相。如果有人必须要打破沉默，那么那种表达方式也许是惊人的，在禅宗意义上这些都被被称为“方便法门”。换句话也就是说，一个人的所说或许会对他人在觉悟的层次上有所帮助，所以，简单来说佛教禅宗就是一种简洁的对觉悟的传播，它不强调人在行为上“做什么”而是思想上的证悟和思维上的转换。由于没有现代传播媒介的助力，刻版印经、经像法物流通等成为当时最重要的传播手段，传统佛教的这种方式因传播成本高昂、传播范围和人数的限制而发展缓慢，但千百年来它取得的效果却是有目共睹的。
纵观佛教历史，佛教的传播方式发生了翻天覆地的变化。从寺院、僧团为中心的授教、各种法会活动的举办、亲身修学实践到今天科技包装起来的演讲、活动、表演等。传播的方式多样性利益了更多有缘众生，但是，当今社会的商业化、市场化、旅游景点化趋势对佛教寺院、尤其是景区寺院造成了很大冲击。很多景区寺院在今天把更多的精力放在寺院的经济利益上，但对于信众和社会大众真正对佛法的需求却不甚重视。在过去，寺院是僧团居住、修学和教化的场所，但是今天，寺院的主要功能却变成了旅游接待。由于寺院忙于服务游客，越来越少的精力放在教化或参禅之类的“正命”事业上，这不得不引起我们的注意(万丙炎，2005, p.78-79)。虽然，中国禅宗强调没有绝对正确的佛教传播方式，但是对于信息科技的发展我们应给予更多的关注。近些年来，尤其是因特网(当然在港台地区和国外还有卫星传输技术的应用)为佛教在当下的繁荣和发展提供了非常有利的条件。但是，我们在享受着信息科技带来的便利同时，也不断遭到它带来的干扰。和其它领域的问题一样，佛教网络目前也面临一个“信息泛滥”的问题。佛教网站虽多，但精品网站不多，有些网络讯息就是互相转来转去，有些版面设计也缺乏创意、使用起来像和你在捉迷藏，这不符合网络的接口和谐、方便使用者和简单实用原则(Shuman，2003)。信息的重复，在很大程度上也造成不必要的人力资源和自然资源浪费，所以佛教网站也面临着整合资源、合理利用资源、合理分配讯息的瓶颈。
由于信息科技已经深层次介入我们的公共和私人空间，想要拒绝或者和它保持距离都是不理性的，有建设性的途径是我们首先要建立一批自己的、高质量的网站来吸引网民，让他们在网上冲浪时至少知道什么是正信的佛教。为了防止误导性讯息和“邪师说法”，有些寺院采取向信众和社会大众介绍正信网站的做法。不过从个人角度来说，我认为佛教组织和寺院团体倒是应该抓住这个机遇对僧信开展媒体素养教育。
概括来说，媒体素养教育是一种批判地接受大众传播讯息的综合能力。它包括解读媒介产品的传播途径、科技手段和组织，并且思考作为受众对媒体传播信息的定义(Shepherd，1993)。具备这种能力我们可以过滤我们每天所接受到的新闻、娱乐和商业广告信息，这种能力也会使我们对媒体产品的背后的动机、利益、价值以及由此对内容的影响产生一种本能性的质疑。有了这种能力和一些基本的佛教知识，僧信二众也便能识别好坏网站，并且知道把哪一些应该列入“黑名单”。
最后，也是最重要的一点，佛教作为一个实践性很强的宗教，传统的教育、培训、启示、观机逗教、师徒之间的交流、面对面的教诲、身教的示范等方面的作用是网络和现代信息科技所无法取代的。我们在运用信息科技为佛教传播服务的同时，也要更加注重佛教优秀传统的保护和古老修学知识、经验、理论的继承，这样我们的佛教才会“科学的”、“可持续的”健康发展。

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Science, Information Technology and Buddhist Communication
Yan Xu

Abstract：The sudden success in just about any field has become impossible without information technology. In whatever areas, it apparently sets to change everything that human beings do in advanced society. The new technology requires us not only use the new methods to communicate and promote Buddhism, but also apply the new concepts to gather online Buddhist community, and offer the new social value and spiritual food for the public. This paper will discuss the relationship between science and Buddhism in the first place. Then, it will go on to explore the significance of information technology to Buddhism and discover how it affects Buddhist communication. Lastly, it will try to find out some solutions for Buddhist organizations and individuals to avoid the side effects of information technology today.
Key Words: Science Information Technology Buddhist Communication Media Literacy

The relationship between science and religion is never as simple as people imagine. In the Western world, Christianity did a great contribution to the establishment and development of the modern science. However, the raising of science became the major enemy to the church. Before the Enlightenment Age, religion was the dominate power in the society. The truth was hold in the church’s hands. Anything when the church said it’s right then it’s right. When the church said it’s wrong, then it’s wrong even though it’s right (He, 1998, p.159-163). For instance, the church said the earth is the center of the universe, anyone who challenged the notion would be punished or simply burned to death, such as, Nicolaus Copernicus and Galileo Galilei. But the punishments didn’t stop the progress of the people’s exploration to truth. The growth of science and reasoning, built up people’s awareness of the universe and themselves. From 17th century onwards, under public pressure, some well-learned theologists already thought the necessity to start the dialogue between religion and modern science (Zhao, 1995, p.635). In this paper I will briefly discuss the relationship between science and Buddhism in the first place. Then, I will go on to talk about the Buddhist perception towards science, and explore the significance of information technology to Buddhism and its effects to Buddhist communication. Lastly, I will try to find out some solutions for Buddhist organizations and individuals to avoid the side effects of information technology.
In the 19 century, after the lost of Sino-Japanese War in 1894-1895. The need for fostering Western science, political system, and legislations became the mainstream public thoughts in the era. At the time, Yan Fu, Kang Youwei, Liang Qichao, Zhang Taiyan, Sun Zhongshan and so forth strongly advocated the importance of science for building a strong nation (He, 1998, P.166). Unfortunately, later, this trend led to an extreme, to replace religion with science, arts, or philosophy, for example, Chen Duxiu The, the New Culture Movement advocator, who believed that religion was the enemies of science. For him, all religions were just the products of humans’ imagination. “It is the phenomenon ignored the objects, the reason abandoned the subjects. It is something constructed from nowhere, which stressed the hypothesis but practice... it’s something for uncivilized people in the past… All religious literatures were product of imagination” (Tang, 2007, p.155). In addition, Chen took the stand of the establishment of religion, and predicted that religion would die eventually. He thought science was the right path for humans’ belief, understanding, practice and actualization, then, all religions would be in a category of dump. “Science is the only way to resolve people’s doubts. I proclaim to replace religions with science, this is to open up our true belief. It is slow by finally we will reach there” (Chen, 1917).
Of course, Chen’s view on religion was developed in a specific circumstance. In the early 20th century, under the Western countries’ invasion and colonization, China was split in various territories, which brought endless civil wars and feudal system restoration. Facing the serious crisis, Chinese intellectuals considered the failure of traditional Chinese culture and political system, which constrained the development of China’s social progress and civilians’ consciousness. The way to save China from the crisis was to throw away old Chinese culture and adopted Western science and democracy to form a New Culture. In his latter publication, Chen realized that religion was the big part of the old culture, the New Culture, definitely, cannot be complete without it (Chen, 1920).
In recent years, the fast development of Chinese economy reinforces the advancement of science, many people are wondering what is the Buddhist perception towards it? As Wang (2008, p.29) notes that Buddhism is totally different with Christianity in terms of philosophy, logic, ethics, view of life and the world. The unique way to understand our life and to recognize the world formed the dialogue foundation between Buddhism and science. Huang (2008, p.95) and Yang (2008, p. 141) pointed out that Buddhism is never a religion of anti-science, in contrast, it always accompanies and digests the scientific findings or achievements for its development. This tradition carries forward not only in contemporary China but also in ancient India. Chan Master Shen Yan Shi (1987, p.36-54) also said Buddhism is different with science, but it’s very scientific. It emphases the importance of science, such as, one of the crucial skills for a Bodhisattva is to mater some skills in medical, construction and engineering areas in the ancient time.

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续-《●[第二届世界佛教论坛论文集]科学、信息科技与佛教传播》

摘自《无量香光网文章集锦》
In 1970s, when personal computers came into our daily life, we never thought it would become one of the main communication powers in the world. In 1990s, when the internet spread out in our “global village”, the whole world’s information technology has changed extensively. After only ten some years, to many people, computer and internet become the integral part of their lives. The sudden success in just about any field has become impossible without information technology. In farming, manufacture, education, medicine, entertainment, banking or whatever, information technology is apparently set to change everything that human beings do in advanced society. Initiation in the process of information handling, transmission, storage and retrieval is the key to future prosperity and to qualitatively different ways of life. Failure to proceed in this direction seems carrying dire consequence.
In the United Nation’s 2008 Vesak day celebration, delegates from all over the world, came to the agreement that internet has already been the important tool for information, exchange, dialogue and education between monastic community and lay Buddhist community, monastic community and non-Buddhist community, inter-communication within lay Buddhist community, and lay-Buddhist community and non-Buddhist community. Ven. Pannyavaro (2009), webmaster of Buddhanet which based in New South Wales, who proclaims that the new information technology requires us not only use the new methods to communicate and promote Buddhism, but also apply the new concept to gather online Buddhist community, and offer the new social value and spiritual food for the public.

As what McLuhan(1965, p.3-8) advocated almost half century ago, medium is the message, the extensions of man. What he stated is that the personal and social consequence of any medium, that is, of any extension of ourselves, result from the new scale that is introduced into our affairs by each extension of ourselves, or by any new technology. The new medium, like the Internet, is also being taken into account in the sense of the extension of man, which in turn on the one hand helps the progress of our society, but on the other hand creates some new problems in our time. With the increasing number of activities of individuals, organizations and nations being conducted in cyberspace, the security of those activities is an emerging challenge for society. The medium has thus created new potentials for criminal or hostile actions, “bad actors” in cyberspace carrying out these hostile actions, and threats to societal interests as a result of them (Hundley & Anderson, 1995-1996, p.19). Additionally, some other issues like online relationship, cyber identity, privacy, treating and piracies, rumors, false news, and to make things worse, porn and gambling, are the great concern of many scholars, parents, schools and even the whole society (Parks & Floyd, 2009). With the controversial development of information technology, Buddhist temples and Sangha communities face the new challenges in the information age. As Sheng Kai Shi (2008, p.147) pointed out that Buddhist temples have lost their walls in the internet age, wherever located in urban or rural areas, the tranquil monastic lifestyle has been confronted. Furthermore, because of people “hiding” their real identities, which lead to the difficulty to preserve the vinaya, “not speaking out of the others’ mistakes.” He also concluded that the characters of Buddhism in the internet age could be the following: the undifferentiated faith, the cyberised activities, and the communitised devotees. Thought, he did not give clear definitions of those characters, he tried to raise people’s attention about the chaos which was created by the internet, for instance, the unauthentic interpretation of the sutras, and the confusion of anyone’s “right to speak”. For him, to uphold a pure and simple image, Buddhist temples and Sangha communities should find the balance point while using internet, otherwise, Buddhism might become the “object of abomination.”
As words are the basic form of communication in people’s daily life, abstention from lying, slander, harsh or abusive language, and idle chatter are essential practice for every practioners. So, implicit in that Buddhist requirement is the understanding that there are must be such a thing as Buddhist communication. However, the Buddha constantly reminded his students that nothing is absolute, nothing is permanent, and nothing in this world is the “self”. There is not such a universal Dharma for universal sentient beings since everything is conditioned and co-dependent. Accordingly there is not a universal best way of communication for all individuals too. In a specific time-space, there might be one or some communication methods for an individual, but they may change in different conditions since everything is relative, changing and a “stream of becoming”. Buddhist communication is a relative communication, whatever makes the one awakened is the right communication.
Personally, I believe internet as one of the main powers which pushes the progress of the globalization. It actually does not globalised the nation states or nationalized the globe, but it globalised the individuals in a very deep sense. It brings the world affairs under an ordinary people’s observance, of course, Buddhist Sangha communities and laities are also included. Because of the trend, every individual with some basic computing literacy skills, would have no doubt to equally express, communicate, and conduct dialogues with anyone who is online. With this flat, equal and free nature of the internet, the traditional Sangha- and temple-centered communication style is being affected quite strongly.
To take an example of Chinese Buddhism, after the completion of monastic regulation in the Tang and Song dynasty, Buddhist preaching and communication primarily focused on Sangha and monasteries. Paying attention to the quality of Sangha communities, emphasizing Dharma assembly, Dharma preaching, routine cultivation, sutra translation, and the transmission of the Dharma linage, were the most important elements and activities of Chinese Buddhism.
Communications between Sangha communities and laities and within the communities were basically verbal. Chan practioners did not follow rigid teachings but find situational inspirations from their lives according to different people’s level of awakening. According to Conze (1951, p. 6), the Buddhist Chan School also promotes that everything one may see is ultimate false, false by mere fact that one says it. “Those who say don’t know; those who know don’t say.” In Chan School, silence alone does not violate the truth. If one say something, and it is astonishing to find how much the supporters of the Chan silence had to say, it is justified only by what they called “skill in means.” In other words, what one says may help other people at a certain stage of their spiritual progress. Thus, Chan is, in Buddhism, easily the chief communicative means of awakening. The stress throughout is far less on “doing something” by overt action, than on contemplation and mental discipline. For a long period of time, Chinese Buddhist Schools fundamentally relied on these styles, and situational teaching/inspiration plus book printing, sutra and sculpture circulation, and temple building for its development.
Throughout Buddhist history, the ways of communication have changed dramatically, from Sangha- and temple-centered preaching, activities and cultivation, to today’s technologically equipped speeches, events, and shows. The methods of Buddhist communication become increasingly diverse. It is true that the diverse of Buddhist communication will benefit more people in our information age. However, the process of commercialization, marketization and touristization of many monasteries might result in the deviation of Buddhist communication. Many monasteries, especially those located in the tourist spots, paid too much attention to their commercial needs but focus too little on what the devotees and public were pursuing. Buddhist temples were places for monks to live, practice, learning and teaching in the past. But today, the major function of those temples is for tourism. Since monks are busy serving tourists, less and less attention is being paid to other decent matters, such as meditation and teaching, which are supposedly the “right livelihood” for Buddhist monks (Wan, 2005, p.78-79).
Even thought there is no a universal best way of Buddhist communication for all individuals, we still need to pay greater attention to the information technology. In recent years, we have been enjoying the convenience which the information technology brings to us, meanwhile, we also have been distracted by its side-effects. Information overload and information repetition are some common problems for Buddhist websites. Additionally, some websites just make troubles for the users, they are neither inconsistent, nor “user friendly” or “ease of use” (Shuman, 2003). The repetition of information leads to the waste of human and natural resource, in the meantime, it makes a warning call to us to adjust, to use and to disseminate the resource wisely to break through the bottleneck of Buddhist communication in the Internet area.
As information technology has already deeply penetrated into our life, it is unreasonable to avoid or keep distance from it. A constructive way that some Buddhist associations and temple take is to build their quality websites to attract Netizens to know more about what is the “true” Buddhism. Moreover, to avoid some misleading information and false interpreting the Buddha’s teaching, some temples also assigned some “decent” websites for the devotees and public to access. Personally, I would suggest that Buddhist organizations should take the opportunity to begin its media literacy programme for both Sangha communities and laities. Media literacy is an informed, critical understanding of the mass media. It involves examining the techniques, technologies and institutions involved in media production; being able to critically analyze media messages; and recognizing the role audiences play in making meaning from those messages (Shepherd, 1993). With the ability, we can sift through and analyze the messages that inform, entertain and sell to us every day. This critical thinking skill could lead us immediately questioning what lies behind media productions, the motives, the money, the values and the ownership, and to be aware of how these factors influence content. With this ability and some necessary Dharma knowledge, Sangha communities and laities could easily distinguish what is decent websites to view and what should be put in the “blacklist”.
Last but not the least, as a practice-based religion, the traditional teaching, training, situational inspiring, teacher-student communication, face to face interaction, and “being the model” teaching and so on, are the true qualities of Buddhism, which cannot and may not be replaced by modern information communication. Of whatever means, of whatever advancement the technologies are, they are only the tools for us to reach our goal. While we employ these tools, we must have a clear mind, our centuries-old tradition, knowledge, experience, and theories are needed to carry on generation by generation, by only doing this, Buddhism will have no doubt to develop “scientifically” and “sustainability”.
Reference:
Chen, D.X. (1917). Confucianism Re-discussed, The New Youth, (Xin Qing Nian), 5(2), 1 Jan, 1917.
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Pannyavaro. (2009). The Future of Buddhism on Internet. Retrieved on 10 Feb 2009 from the World Wild Wed: www.vesakday.net/vesak50/article ... on_the_Internet.pdf
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作者简介：
释延续，九华山佛学院副院长。