二○○六年于杭州、舟山举行的第一届世界佛教论坛以“和谐世界，从心开始”为主题，既抓住了佛教最具特色的心灵资源，又契合当今世界以“和谐”与“合作”谋求永久和平的时代潮流，因而在海内外产生了广泛而深远的影响；第二届佛教论坛以“和谐世界，众缘和合”为主题，从佛教的核心教义——“缘起法”为基点，五十多个国家的佛教界、学术界、企业界、文艺界及政界领袖欢聚一堂，开坛演讲，共同寻求建立“和谐世界”之道，令人赞叹!

这次席卷全球的“金融海啸”，打破了世界的和谐，令各国金融体系岌岌可危，令日本官员发出“不亚于向日本投向第三颗原子弹”的惊呼，令美国总统奥巴马为失业率之高而“大为震惊”，令打工仔人人自危，上班时感到极大压力，时常担忧“几时轮到自己”……负面情绪弥漫在社会的每一个角落。更令人忧虑的是，近期有关“第二波金融危机”可能爆发的惊呼频频见诸报端……所有这一切都向人们展示着“金融海啸”的威力。面对金融危机，佛教可以做些什么？本次论坛主题有助于人们化解“金融危机”吗?答案是肯定的。

“诸法从缘生，缘谢法即灭；我师大沙门，常作如是说。”^[1]这便是佛教中有名的缘起偈。缘起偈可以从如下五个方面形象地说明，“众缘和合”是平息“金融海啸”的法宝：1、恶缘聚会，危机成因；2、善缘聚会，化解危机；3、缘散则灭，无限希望；4、顺逆随缘，自在快乐；5、因缘相依，共生共荣。

恶缘聚会，危机成因

缘起偈中「诸法从缘生」告诉人们，宇宙、人世间的万事万物(如健康、花开花落、金融海啸等)都不是凭空产生的，而是由种种条件（因缘）和合而起，条件具备则有，即“诸法从缘生”。这次席卷全球的“金融海啸”也是如此，它是由种种恶缘聚集而成的。产生“金融海啸”的主因只一个字—“贪”。贪婪使得人们的心灵深处如同海啸一般，产生剧烈的变化，令人生出种种颠倒梦想，引发“金融海啸”形成的众多助缘：一些发达的国家无中生有地“发明”出令人眼花撩乱的金融产品，自鸣得意地做起无本的买卖；金融机构无节制的利用金融杠杆，一元的产品，可以做成十元，甚至几十元、上百元的生意规模，欣喜若狂地做起一本万利的生意；金融业的精英们不负责任地推销高风险投资，沾沾自喜地拿着丰厚的红利奖金；普通民众千方百计地从银行贷款来买房、炒股、投资，心安理得地超前消费，做起繁荣盛世的美梦。虚假繁荣就这样在社会各阶层的颠倒梦想中逐渐建立起来，而且这个梦愈做愈美、愈做愈大。等大家从发财的美梦惊醒时，为时晚矣。

善缘聚会，化解危机

从本质上讲，纸币、股票及其它金融产品不过是一纸空文，其本身的价值极小。只有当它恰如其分地反映物质财富增长的真实状况时，才能够赋予它特定的价值。因此，社会繁荣的基石依然是社会所创造的坚实财富，而非依靠发纸币、炒股票和玩金融产品。依据佛教的缘起法，世间一切事物皆是因缘所生，世间的财富也不例外。佛教认为，财富主要来源于如下三方面：1、大自然界的生力：一年四季，土地给我们提供五谷蔬果等丰盛的食物，大地蕴藏着取之不尽、用之不竭的宝藏；2、众人的努力：社会大众通过辛勤劳动，能够创造出财富；3、技术革新，提高生产力，使得财富创造能够更有效地进行。由此可见，远离颠倒梦想，以勤恳而脚踏实地的态度来对待工作，创造财富，才是化解“金融危机”的善缘，也才能确保社会的真正繁荣及人生的安定。

更重要的是，既然一切均由“众缘和合”而生，所以没有一个常住不变的本体。若能领悟佛陀“空”的智慧，便能了知物质世界与精神世界均是变化无常的，只要改变因缘，一切都可以改变。换言之，面对“金融危机”，我们不仅应该学会珍惜和善用因缘，而且应抓住机遇，积极创造善缘，以期早日结束这场来势凶猛的海啸。

缘散则灭，无限希望

宇宙间一切事物（包括人生）皆依照一定的规律运转，生生不息。人们因为只能看到事物表面的现象，无法看透组成事物的各种元素不断变化的本质，因而总以为亲眼所见、亲身经历的事物都是真实不虚的，执着由此而产生，烦恼随之而至。然而，世间的任何事物有生必有灭，都处在无常变化之中，这就是佛教所说的“缘散则灭”的道理。三千大千世界中的任何一件事物都有“成住坏空”；三界中一切有情的心都是“生住异灭”；卵、胎、湿、化四生之生命都有“生老病死”……宇宙万有、有情无情，凡有始必有终，无一例外，都受“缘散则灭”这一规律的支配。

若能明白缘散缘灭这一道理，学会用无常变化的观点来看待事物，将为我们战胜“金融危机”带来无限的希望，毕竟“金融危机”也是由种种条件组合而成，因而不可能一直存在。换而言之，即使是“金融海啸”也总有过去的一天。春天到来之前是严冬，但严冬一定会过去，迎来阳光明媚的春天。同样道理，无论我们现在面对何种困难，总有雨过天晴、柳暗花明的一天。否极泰来，祸兮福所倚，福兮祸所伏也，自古周而复始。这就是佛门中常讲的祸福不二的道理。因此当我们正在遭受“金融危机”时，如果能以佛教的因缘观来看待，将会为我们战胜危机增添无限的勇气与信心。

顺逆随缘，自在快乐。

“众缘和合”要求我们了知缘生缘灭的自然规律，学会随顺因缘(如自己所拥有的资源)、随顺各种条件之间的关系而决定我们的行止(应该做什么，不应该做什么)，活在当下，尽力而为，如果以此为准则，必能顺利地走出「金融危机」。

农夫与驴的故事形象地阐发了这个道理。一天，农夫心爱的驴掉进了一口枯井里，他尝试了各种方法，忙碌了几个小时，都没有把驴从井里救出来，最后他不得不放弃。然而，井里传来驴子断断续续的哀嚎声，令农夫伤心不已。于是他请来左邻右舍帮忙，决定尽快将井中的驴子用沙土埋掉，以便减少牠垂死挣扎的痛苦，早早解脱。一铲铲泥土落入枯井中，打在驴子背上，令它痛苦万分，但它出于求生的本能，就一直不断地用力抖掉打在身上的泥土，然后踏到泥土上去……大家忙碌了半天，枯井终于被填平，伤痕累累的驴子也跳出了枯井，获得新生。

故事中的枯井，犹如目前人们不愿面对的金融危机；落入枯井中受伤的驴，犹如这次金融海啸中受害的“苦主”；农夫请左邻右舍帮忙，犹如各国政要推出的巨额救市方案，希望早日了结这埸危机；打在枯井中驴背上的泥土，犹如金融海啸后人们必须面对的各种考验。落入深井中受伤的驴，想一下子跳出枯井，比登天还难；同理，这次金融风暴影响既深且广，苦主们想很快从困境中解脱出来，不比这只驴从深井中跳出来得容易。即使人们尽力往井中填土，深井中的驴若失去求生的勇气，只知伤心流泪，而不作任何努力，势必早就葬身深井之中；同理，即使各国政府花最大的力量去振兴本国经济，深陷金融危机泥淖中的苦主们，若整天只知怨天尤人、悔恨悲愤、唉声叹气，以致放弃努力，就实实在在地成为了金融风暴的牺牲品。

其实，身陷绝境的驴，只要不放弃求生的意志，不断地动动脚，坚持不懈地抖落打在身上的泥土，便能走出困境；同理，尽管我们正面临金融危机的煎熬，若人人都能正确看待所处的环境和局势，以平常心做好自己的本分事，勤恳而踏实地工作，专注于当下这一刻做的事，便能创造出更多的财富，整个社会的经济发展趋势也会逐渐好转起来。我坚信，在不久的将来，我们就一定能走出目前的困境。

如果我们能从这次金融风暴中学会反思，汲取经验教训，以冷静的心观察事态的发展和变化，并做出理智的判断和行动，如此，轻松平和的心态自然生起。正如达摩祖师在《略辨大乘入道四行观》中告诫人们的，“众生无我，并缘业所转，苦乐齐受，皆从缘生。若得胜报荣誉等事，是我过去宿因所感，今方得之，缘尽还无，何喜之有？得失从缘，心无增减，喜风不动，冥顺于道，是故说言随缘行。”

因缘相依，共生共荣

宇宙万有、一切条件，从表面看起来虽是相对独立，甚至是毫不相干的，但是缘起法告诉我们，事物之间的关系是，“此有故彼有，此生故彼生；此无故彼无，此灭故彼灭。”这首偈颂阐明了事物之间错综复杂的关系:小到微尘，大到宇宙，万物皆是因中有果，果中有因，因因果果，变化无穷，生生不息的。事物与事物之间相依相赖的关系恰似一个错综复杂的网络，跨越时空，把有情和无情世间交织在一起，彼此既相生相待又互相制约，形成一个统一而又多样的世界。目前的金融危机就是最好的说明。

由次贷危机而引发的金融海啸，其中心在美国，然而欧洲、日本、中国、英国等国家却不得不投入巨额资金来救市；金融风暴使得通货膨胀加剧、经济增长放慢、大批中小企业倒闭，“就业危机”在全球经济衰退中悄然而至。据国际劳工组织预计，2009年全球失业人数将高达5100万，而中国今年只有36%的大学毕业生能够找到工作。若失业率继续攀升，更多消费者会无法偿还银行贷款，引爆另一场信贷危机。深陷金融危机泥淖中的苦主们，因其资产缩水而一直处于紧张、焦虑、暴躁的状态，有的甚至有自杀倾向，引发“心灵危机”。

以上分析足以说明，处在瞬息万变的全球化时代，随着科技的突破、货物的流通、市场的扩展，实际上各国的政治、经济与社会生活逐步形成你中有我、我中有你的相依相赖、共生共荣的局面。换而言之，小到个人，大到国家，皆交织在相互依赖、相互作用、相互联系的网络中，一荣俱荣，一损俱损。我们只有忘记小我，拥抱大我，从全球发展的角度出发，尊重“市场规律”，顺应潮流，珍惜和善用各种因缘，随缘去做有利于自己和众人的事，才能度过难关，彻底平息“金融海啸”，走向共荣的富裕之路。

综上所述，本次论坛的主题——“众缘和合”能够使人们了知：恶缘聚会是这次“金融危机”的成因，那么化解之道便是聚集善缘。对于仍受“金融危机”之苦的人而言，缘散则灭能使人了知，“金融危机”也是无常的。这不仅使人们勇敢地面对金融风暴，而且给人们战胜这场危机带来无限希望与勇气。最重要的是，在化解“金融危机”的过程中，应学会“顺逆随缘”，这样便能在任何情况下都能自在快乐。最后，这场「金融危机」深刻地向世人演示了“相生相即”、“共生共荣”的道理，为世界各国连手合作战胜金融危机提供了理论依据。因此说，这次论坛的主题——“众缘和合”，即是平息“金融海啸”的法宝。

Synergy of Multi-conditions to Moderate the Financial Tsunami Effect

Sik Chi Wai

In 2006, the 1^st World Buddhist Forum was held in Zhoushan of Hangzhou in China with the theme of “A Harmonious World Begins in the Mind”. The theme did not only highlight the resources of the mind as the key feature of Buddhism, but also coincide with the trendy concept of “harmony” and “co-operation” in the contemporary world for eternal peace. Therefore, the Forum left widespread and significant impacts on all over the world. Now this 2^nd World Buddhist Forum takes “A Harmonious World, A Synergy of Conditions” as its main theme building on the core doctrine of Buddhism----‘Dependent Origination’. Leaders from the Buddhist, academic, entrepreneurial, arts & cultural and political sectors are getting together to participate in the Forum and present their papers. They are going to seek a way out to build a ‘Harmonious World’. It would just be amazing.

The financial tsunami has flooded the whole world, dismantling the world harmony and crumbling the financial system of every country. The officials from Japan even gave a shocking remark, “This is equivalent to dropping a third atomic bomb in Japan”. The newly elected United States President, Barack Obama is shocked by the alarmingly high unemployment rate in his country. This threatens all employees. They suffer from huge pressure when going to work, always worried about when they will be laid off, feeling so helplessly. All such negative emotions fill up every sector of the society. What more worrying is the recent news about the upcoming of the second wave of the tsunami. This time it would be even more calamitous. In the face of the financial tsunami, what can Buddhism do? Will this Forum help solving the ‘Financial Crisis’? The answer is definitely positive.

‘All dhamas arise from conditions. All dharmas cease because of conditions. The Buddha, the great Sramana always speaks this way.’ ^[1]This is the famous Dependent Origination Gatha (缘起偈) in Buddhism. The Dependent Origination could explicitly accounts for way how synergy of multi-conditions moderates the financial tsunami effect in five different aspects. They are: 1) synergy of unwholesome conditions causes crises; 2) synergy of wholesome conditions leads to crisis cessation ; 3) cessation of conditions gives rise to infinite hopes; 4) abiding by conditions to face adversity leads to comfort and happiness; 5) mutual dependence of causes and conditions generates existence and prosperity.

1. Synergy of unwholesome conditions causes crisis

In the Dependent Origination Gatha, it says that ‘all dharmas arise from conditions’. The universe and everything in the world (such as health, blossoming and withering of flowers, financial tsunami etc.) do not happen out of a whim. It is a product of many conditions amalgamating together (causes and conditions). When conditions are ready, things arise. The disastrous financial tsunami is of no exception; the happening of this is something not out of the blue. In fact it happens because of the synergy of the unwholesome conditions. The main cause of the ‘Financial Tsunami’ is simply greediness, which stirs up the turbulence in the human mind like having a tsunami inside changing restlessly. This induces people make different illusive dreams, that would soon synergise to bring about the financial tsunami gradually. In some developed countries, they ‘invent’ fascinating and dazzling financial products out of nothing, bluffly doing great business at no cost. Those financial institutions keep using the financial leverage without any control, which means that one-dollar products can become 10-dollar products, few dozen-dollar or even few hundred-dollar ones. People happily thought that they are doing sizable and profitable business.The financial elites irresponsibly promote the high-risk investment products, proudly taking a good portion of the bonus. The laymen consider thoroughly to buy a flat by bank mortgage, or to get loan to buy shares and make various investments. They feel good about themselves by doing all these advanced consumptions. They are really making a flourishing and delusive dream. In fact, fake prosperity is then built upon such illusions from all walks of life. Such dreams then grow sweeter and bigger. When it is time to wake up, they find it is already too late.

2. Synergy of wholesome conditions leads to crisis cessation

The self nature of the banknotes, shares and other financial products are only piles of paper. The value by themselves of being paper is very low. Only when these papers appropriately reflect the actual situation of growth of the materialistic wealth, they are endowed with their specific values. Therefore, the foundation of the prosperity of the society is still built on the concrete wealth created by the society, rather than on the issuance of the banknotes, investment of the market shares or other financial products. According to the Dependent Origination Gatha in Buddhism, all dharmas arise from conditions, wealth is just the same. Buddhism deems that wealth comes from 3 sources. Firstly, the productivity of nature offers us four seasons a year and land for planting grains and agricultural products etc. The nature is a treasure that we can develop sustainably and it will never be used up. Secondly, it is the human concerted effort. As people work hard, they can create wealth. Lastly, it is technology advancement. It can increase productivity so that the wealth creation can progress effectively. As such, one should wake up from their delusive dreams; instead they should work earnestly in order to create wealth. This is the wholesome condition for solving the ‘Financial Tsunami’, also a positive way to ensure the genuine prosperity of the society leading to a stable life.

More importantly, everything starts from a ‘synergy of multi-conditions’, which means there is no permanent and constant self nature of the things. If you can comprehend the Buddha’s wisdom of “emptiness”, you will know the materialistic world and the spiritual world are constantly changing. Only when conditions change, things will change and new things arise. In other words, when facing the ‘financial crisis’, we ought not only treasure and make good use of conditions, but also grasp the chance and actively create wholesome conditions. By doing this we hope to end this fierce tsunami as soon as possible.

3. Cessation of conditions gives rise to infinite hope

In the universe, everything (including life) revolves according to certain rules with no ending. Because people only see the surface of the phenomenon, they cannot see through the ever-changing nature of its composite elements. Therefore, they think that everything they see and experience is true and concrete. As a result, troubles come and attachment arises. However, everything in the world has arising and cessation. This is what Buddhism says, ‘it extinguishes in condition that others extinguish’(缘散则灭). In this world, everything has to go thorough kalpa of Cheng (成) , Zhu (住), Huai (坏) and Kong (空). In the three realms (三界), all phenomena fall into a cycle of arising, abiding, changing and extinction of all existences. Everything that is conceived by Lun (卵), Tai(胎), Shi(湿), and Hua(化) will have to go through the cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death. In the universe, feeling or no feeling, there is arising and cessation of condition. Nothing has any exceptions. All are governed by this rule of ‘it extinguishes in condition that others extinguish’.

If one can understand this, and learn to view things from the angle of change, this will bring endless hopes for people to win over the ‘Financial Crisis’. After all, the ‘Financial Crisis’ is also formed when various conditions get together, so it will not be there forever. In other words the ‘Financial Tsunami’ will go away one day. Spring comes after the cold winter. Winter will pass away to welcome the sunshine in spring. By the same token , no matter we are facing what kinds of difficulties, the rainy days will be gone for we know we will have sunshine one day. When the worst comes to the end, the best will begin. It is this cycle of changes that has been carrying from the ancient past. Also, it is the non-duality of fortune-misfortune and their mutual dependence that we always talk about in Buddhism. When facing the ‘Financial Crisis’, if we can look at it from the viewpoint of condition, it will bring us infinite courage and confidence to win this crisis.

4. Abiding by conditions to face adversity leads to comfort and happiness

“Synergy of muli-conditions” demands us fully understand the rule of nature: arising and cessation of conditions. If one can learn to abide by the conditions (such as the resources that they have), get on with the relations among different conditions, we are able to decide our behavior (what one should do and should not). We have to stand our ground and try our best capacity; if we take this as the yardstick, we could solve the ‘Financial Crisis’ smoothly.

The story of a farmer and his donkey may help to elaborate this vividly. Some day, the beloved donkey of the farmer fell into a dried well. The farmer made use of every means to save the donkey. Having worked for couples of hours, the farmer found that it was in vain. At last, he wanted to give up. However, the donkey cried miserably in the well and the farmer felt very sad. Then he asked help from his neighbors and they decided to quickly bury the donkey with soil, because this would stop it struggling to relieve the pain of dying. They shovelled soil into the well and the soil fell onto the back of the donkey, which made it very painful. But then, the donkey used its survival instinct to get rid of the soil on its back by moving rigorously its body and the soil dropped onto the ground. At the end the donkey stepped onto the fallen soil…This lasted for half of the day; the well was finally filled up and the wounded donkey jumped out of the well and was alive again.

The well in this story is just like the financial crisis that people do not want to face. The donkey in the well resemble those ‘victims’ suffering from this financial tsunami. The farmer, who asked for help from his neighbors, is like the political leaders who have been launching solutions with huge amount of money to save the market. They hope to end this crisis as soon as they can. The falling soil on the back of the donkey is just like the suffering people experience in the financial tsunami. It would be extremely difficult for the wounded donkey in the well wanting to leap out effortlessly. This situation is equivalent to the victims who want to get out of the financial tsunami quickly without trying to make any effort, which would not be easier than the donkey to get out of the dried well. In the story, even though others helped to fill up the well with soil and if the donkey in the well lost the courage to survive, being upset crying all the time and doing nothing, it would definitely be buried in the well.

It is the same with the current situation. Though every country spends enormous effort to bail out the financial crisis and if the victims in the crisis only moan, grieve, sigh and give up to work hard, finally, they will be sacrificed in this financial tsunami.

In fact, when the donkey was in great danger, it did not give up its will to survive. The donkey kept stamping its feet on the ground to get rid of the falling soil. In the end, the donkey could walk out of the predicament. It is the same for us. Even if we are now facing the hardship of the financial crisis, each of us can appropriately examine the environment and the situation to try our best in doing our jobs earnestly with concentration. So much so, we can create more wealth. The economic development of the society will be getting better. I firmly believe that in the near future, we can walk out of the current predicament.

If we can learn to reflect the situation from this financial tsunami, we can adopt a calm attitude to observe the development and changes of the various matters. We can make rational judgment and react accordingly. As such, we could have a relaxing and peaceful mind. As Bodhidharma advised others in his sermon of ‘the essence of the Mahayana four practices for entering the Way’ (略辨大乘入道四行观), he said, ‘Sentient beings are without a self. They are only steered by karmic conditions. Suffering and joy are experienced together as a result of causes and conditions. Any rewards, blessings or honors is just a consequence of past causes, and is gone when the necessary conditions are vanished. So what is there to be joyful about? As success and failure depend on conditions, the Mind neither gains nor loses, remaining unmoved by the winds of joy. This is to be in harmony with the Way. Therefore it is called the practice of abiding by the conditions.’

5. Mutual dependence of conditions generates existence and prosperity

In the universe all conditions apparently seem independent and mutually exclusive of one another. There is hardly any relations between them. However, the Doctrine of Dependent Origination tells us about the relations of all matters and phenomena: “When this exists, that comes to be; with the arising of this, that arises. When this does not exist, that does not come to be; with the cessation of this, that ceases.” This Doctrine explains that there are complicated relations among all the things and phenomena, from the tiniest dust particles to the universe. In between, there are causes and conditions for the results and yet there are also results for the causes and conditions. It is because of these conditions and results, phenomena or things in the world keep on changing and are impermanent . When there is a start and there is an end, and when there is an end, there is a start. This is a cyclic change. The interdependent relations among things look like a comprehensive network, regardless of time and space, connecting the world of sentient and non-sentient beings. The conditions are relative to one another , and yet they are also mutually influencing one another. In so doing, this gives rise to unity and diversity of the world. The current financial crisis serves the best explanation.

The financial tsunami was brought about by the sub-prime mortgage crisis, occurring mainly in the United States. However, Europe, Japan, China and the U.K. etc. have no escape for not injecting huge amount of capital to save the market. The financial tsunami has escalated the inflation and slowed down the economic growth, that causes many medium and small enterprises to close down. ‘Unemployment Crisis’ quietly comes with the economic recession. According to the forecast of an international labour organization, there will be 51 million people unemployed all over the world. This year, only 36% of the university graduates can find a job in China. If the unemployment rate keeps going up, more consumers are not able to pay back their bank loans, which will then trigger another credit crunch . When the victims deeply tied up in the financial crisis see their assets shrink day by day, they get nervous, anxious and bad-tempered. Some of them even want to commit suicide, that conduces to the ‘mind crisis’.

The above analysis best explains that we are living in an ever-changing globalization era. There are technology breakthroughs, free flow of merchandises and expansion of markets. In fact, the politics, economy and society of every country are forming a scenario of the mutual and relative dependence of individuals. All are interdependent and interrelated to one another. In other words, from the individual to a nation, all are knitted up in an interdependent, interrelated and interconnected network. That means, if one prospers and all others will prosper, and vice versa. Therefore, we should not only forget about the inner “one self” but also embrace the outer “other selves”, from the global development point of view. We should respect ‘rules in the market’ and stand by the current changes and conditions . By treasuring and making good use of the different conditions, we do more good things to facilitate both others and ourselves. Finally, we can manage the hardship and completely moderate this ‘Financial Tsunami’ on the path to achieve the common goal.

In conclusion, the theme of this Forum is ‘Synergy of Multi-conditions’, which let people understand that unwholesome condition is the cause of this ‘Financial Tsunami’. Therefore, the solution to this is to synergise wholesome conditions. For those who still suffer from the pain of ‘Financial Crisis’, we can only say when the condition changes, things will fall back into places again. On the understanding that the ‘Financial Crisis’ is also a matter of change, it does not only help people face financial tsunami bravely, but also brings them infinite hopes and courage to win this crisis. Most importantly, in the process of solving this ‘Financial Crisis’, we should have learnt ‘how to abide by the conditions’, no matter when it goes well or not. This will then make us free and happy under any circumstances. Lastly, this ‘Financial Crisis’ greatly reveals to the world that we are interrelated to and interdependent of one another. This provides the theoretical basis for the nations of the world to join hands and cooperate with one another to combat this financial crisis. Indeed, it does echo the theme of this Forum ~ “Synergy of multi-conditions is the strategy to moderate the ‘Financial Tsunami’ effect”.