I don't have the time to translate Master Hsingyun's text on how a Buddhist should react towards rumours, scandals, wrong/harsh speech (��), quarrels (是�), defamation. Afterall, we live in an information age of internet, where an information of explosion appear on the internet every day or on daily media. We are faced with quarrel speech, flames, harsh speech, scandals allegation etc.
But his text reflects great wisdom on how we buddhist should react. I've translated some of his wise text into English.
The world does not refrain from speaking the truth. Whenever a person is doing something, the heaven is watching. When a person is speaking, the heaven is listening. The universe's "right" will always be "right", "wrong" will always be "wrong". Karma, Causes and Effect cannot be changed. Right and Wrong can thus not change its position. "A good person will be bullied, the heaven does not bully; People are afraid of evil, the heaven is not afraid. The Right and Wrong will return you a justice, before the act of causes and effect.
Right and Wrong, Good and Evil, Causes and Effect is clear. Alas, many people had been entangled within the right and wrong quarrel, life is not liberated. There are also people who cannot tolerate rumours and use suicide to prove one's cleaniness. In fact, "a clean person is self-clean, a muddy person is self-muddy. When right and wrong quarrels (defamation, rumours) reaches a wise person, one should act towards "Don't say anything about right and wrong (dispute), Don't listen anything about right and wrong, Don't respond anything about right and wrong, Don't spread anything about right and wrong, Don't be afraid of right and wrong". What can "right and wrong" do towards me?"
Anyone who say about right and wrong will be a "right and wrong" (quarrel) person. We only need to have a clear conscience towards our mind and heart, it might not necessarily be just as one wishes. We only need to act right, do right, faced with "right and wrong" (quarrel), what should we be afraid of ?
星云大师
著作:迷悟之间
是�的�怕
“是é�žæœ�æœ�有,没有现在多。”现在的家åºã€�社会ã€�朋å�‹ã€�兄弟ã€�夫妻牅…真是æ¤äº¦æ˜¯“是é�ž”,彼亦是“是é�ž”,到处“是是é�žé�ž”,æ�…乱得大家纷扰ä¸�已。
人生本æ�¥æ˜¯å¾ˆå¿«ä¹�,美妙的生活,å�¯æ˜¯“是é�ž”åƒ�温疫ä¸�æ–的侵扰ç�€ä½ ,有时候躲也躲ä¸�开,所谓“好事ä¸�出门,å��äº‹ä¼ å�ƒé‡Œ”,这è¯�明“是é�ž”æœ‰æ— æ¯”çš„åŠ›é‡�。“é�“高一尺,é”高一丈”,诚ä¸�虚也。
有的人把别人的好事,说��事;有的人把自己的�事,说�是好事,混淆是�,让人���,也摸��,找�出事实真相。
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佛教里把妄è¯ã€�两舌ã€�æ�¶å�£ã€�ç»®è¯éƒ½è®¤ä¸ºæ˜¯“是é�ž”。国际间强æ�ƒè€…就为“是”,弱势者就为“é�ž”;社会上有钱者就为“是”ï¼Œæ— è´¢è€…å°±ä¸º“é�ž”。更有一些别有用心的人把“é�ž”说æˆ�“是”,把是说æˆ�“é�ž”,翻云覆雨,å�ªé� å¦‚ç°§ä¹‹èˆŒï¼›ç”šè‡³çŽ°åœ¨æœ‰äº›ä¼ æ’媒体哗众å�–å® ã€�é¢ å€’ä¸–é—´ï¼ŒçœŸæ˜¯æ— æ‰€ä¸�用其æž�。
有的人被是é�žæ‰€å›°ï¼Œæ‰°æ”˜ç»ˆæ—¥ä¸�得安å®�;有的人给是é�žé™·å®³ï¼Œä¸§å¤±äº†æœ¬æœ‰çš„æˆ�就。曾å�çš„æ¯�亲,有一天有人告诉她:曾å�æ�€äººäº†ï¼�她当然ä¸�信,但当第二个ã€�第三个人告诉她:曾å�æ�€äººäº†ï¼�她也ä¸�å¾—ä¸�信。所谓:“三人æˆ�虎”,共产党有一å�¥å��言:“人说了三å��次的谎言,就æˆ�了真ç�†ï¼�”是é�žè°Žè¨€ï¼Œæ€Žä¸�å�¯æ€•ï¼Ÿ
但是,世间上并ä¸�是真的ä¸�讲真ç�†ï¼Œæ‰€è°““人在å�šå¤©åœ¨çœ‹ï¼Œäººåœ¨è¯´å¤©åœ¨å�¬”;宇宙间大é�“之行“是”的终究是“是”,“é�ž”的终究是“é�ž”ï¼Œå› æžœæ˜¯ä¸�能改å�˜çš„,是é�žå½“然也ä¸�能异ä½�。“善有人欺天ä¸�欺,æ�¶æœ‰äººæ€•å¤©ä¸�怕”,是é�žåœ¨å› 果之å‰�ï¼Œå¿…å®šä¼šè¿˜ç»™ä½ ä¸€ä¸ªå…¬é�“。
是é�žã€�å–„æ�¶ã€�å› æžœæ˜Žæ˜Žç™½ç™½ï¼Œå�¯æƒœå¤šå°‘人为了是é�žï¼Œç”Ÿæ´»ä¸�能自在,甚至有人ç¦�ä¸�起谣言,以自æ�€æ�¥è¡¨æ˜Žæ¸…白。其实,“清者自清,浊者自浊”;是é�žæ¢äºŽæ™ºè€…,å�¾äººåº”该å�šåˆ°“ä¸�说是é�žã€�ä¸�å�¬æ˜¯é�žã€�ä¸�ç�†æ˜¯é�žã€�ä¸�ä¼ æ˜¯é�žã€�ä¸�怕是é�žã€‚”“是é�ž”å�ˆå²‚奈我何?
“æ�¥è¯´æ˜¯é�žè€…ã€�便是是é�žäºº”ï¼›å�¾äººå�ªè¦�æ— æ„§æˆ‘å¿ƒï¼Œä¸�一定尽如人æ„�。å�ªè¦�å�¾äººè¡Œå¾—æ£ã€�å�šå¾—æ£ï¼Œé�¢å¯¹æ˜¯é�žï¼Œä½•è¶³ç•�哉?
Hmm....fine line between keeping silent and standing up for yourself.
Don't always be a 垂眉的��(Buddha who always bow his head),有时��怒目的金刚(an angry dharma protector)。
The above verse was from a nun. I could not recall under what circumstances she said that. If I remember correctly she was referring to protecting the sentiment beings and protecting the dharma.
Clarify and communicate the truth. I think this should be the modern way for a buddhist to react.
Silence is a thing of the past way.
Communication is better.