A HARMONIOUS SOCIETY, A HOMELAND OF PROPRIETY AND INTEGRITY

廬江文化教育中心簡介

A Brief Introduction of the Lujiang Centre of Cultural Education[g1]   (LCCE)

一、緣起

I.  THE ORIGIN (The Casual Condition that gives rise to the LCCE  )

宇宙原本和諧，萬物同體共生。和平安定，共存共榮，是全人類深切的期盼。

The universe was originally harmonious; everything comes from the same primordial source (elements) and lives symbiotically.  To live and thrive together and to maintain the harmony, peace, stability, and prosperity of the world is the most sincere aspiration and expectation of the entire human race.

靜觀古今中外歷史，武力報復、戰爭、經濟、政治，乃至會議論壇，都無法化解對立衝突。

When we quietly[g2]  contemplate the history of the East and the West, from the ancient times to the present, we found that military retaliations (armed vendettas), wars, economic reforms, political alliances, and even world summits cannot reconcile the conflicts caused by bias or polarized views

二十世紀七十年代英國著名歷史哲學家湯恩比博士講道：「解決二十一世紀的社會問題，唯有中國的孔孟學說與大乘佛法。」德國前總統施密特先生也曾揭示：「歷史上漢人統治的國家，無論如何強大，極少通過土地擴張來征服對方。」

Dr. Arnold Toynbee, the famous British historian and philosopher of the 20^th century, stated in the 1970s that “[I]n the coming 21st century, the only human civilization fit to liberate the world from the pit of global chaos or a crisis is the Theosophy or Wisdom of Confucianism and Mahayana Buddhism.”   Mr. Helmut Schmidt, the former Chancellor of West Germany[g3] , also proclaimed that historically, countries ruled by the Chinese (Han people), no matter how powerful, rarely conquered their enemies or expanded their territory through armed forces.

中華文化博大精深，相容並蓄。孔孟學說與大乘佛法的精髓，都在於肯定「人性本善」。以仁慈博愛教化一切眾生，啟迪人心本有的純淨善良、慈和仁讓的本性。

Chinese culture is expansive and profound, its philosophy is to tolerate and embrace all differences so that all can flourish together.  The essential doctrines of Confucius, Mencius and the Mahayana Buddhism all acknowledge “the innate kindness of human nature.” (or that the “human nature is innately kind.”)  They all teach and transform people through benevolence, compassion, and universal love[g4] ; (in order to) invoke the innate kindness, the purest of purity, the compassion and tranquility, and the benevolence and humility of mankind.

和諧世界，從內心的和諧開始。唯有先化解自己內心的衝突矛盾，以真誠愛心對待一切人、事、物，才能化解外在所有的衝突矛盾，獲得和平安定。心淨國土淨、心安眾生安、心平天下平。

A harmonious world begins with the inner harmony of our minds.  Only by resolving our inner conflicts and by treating every person, matter, and object with sincerity and love, can the external conflicts and confrontations be reconciled, and peace and stability [of the world] achieved.  When human minds are pure, the land will be pure.  When human minds are peaceful, all sentient beings will be secure.  When human minds are equal, the world will have equality.

 這是中國傳統文化教育的核心，也是世間所有聖哲教誨的根本。

This is the core essence of the traditional education of Chinese civilization, as well as the fundamental teachings[g5]  of all the worldly saints and sages.

中國五千年歷史經驗，「建國君民，教學為先」。安邦定國，通過辦學講課，推廣倫理道德愛的教育，最能有效快速獲得實益。

According to the experiences of five thousand years of Chinese history, “education is the first priority in establishing a country and leading her people[g6] .” The most effective and efficient way to achieve “the security of the state and the stability of the nation” is through schools, courses, lectures, etc., to promote the education of love and ethics[g7] .

聖賢真誠愛心的教育，超越時空，萬古常新。能為全人類帶來永恆真實的和諧安定、繁榮富強。

The education of sincerity and love, propagated by the saints and sages, transcending time and space, eternal and constant, will truly bring everlasting harmony, peace, security, and prosperity for the entire human race.

二、中心導師釋淨空教授簡介

II.  THE PROFILE OF VENERABLE PROFESSOR CHIN KUNG, THE PRINCIPAL TEACHER[g8]  OF LCCE

中心導師淨空老教授（澳洲昆士蘭大學、格裡菲斯大學榮譽教授，印尼薩利悉達亞都拉回教大學榮譽博士），以恢復聖哲倫理道德教育，弘揚大乘佛法慈悲精神為己任，講經教學五十餘年未曾間斷。一生致力於世界和平、宗教團結、仁愛和諧的社會教育工作。

Venerable Master Chin Kung, the Principal Teacher of LCCE (Honorary Professors at the Griffith University, and the University of Queensland, Australia; Honorary Doctorates of Griffith University, University of Southern Queensland, Australia, and  Syariff Hidayatullah State Islamic University, Indonesia[g9] ), regards the restoration of the ethical teachings of the saints and sages and the propagation of the compassionate and loving spirits of the Mahayana Buddhism as his duty.  He has been giving lectures for more than 50 years without a day’s rest.  As a social educationist, he dedicates his whole life to world peace, religious unification, and a society of benevolence, love, and harmony.

老教授曾多次應邀在國際和平會議上發表講演。會上，大家對老教授提出的「以倫理道德教育化解衝突，促進社會安定，世界和平」的理念予以高度讚歎肯定，但總認為這是理想而無法落實。

The Venerable Professor has been invited to give speeches at numerous Peace Conferences organized by UNESCO.  During one conference, he proposed “Reconciling Conflicts and Promoting Social Stability and World Peace through Teaching[g10]  [Morals and Ethical Relations].”  His concept was given great recognition and laudation but the attendees felt that it was a Utopia and could not be realized.

為幫助人們增長信心，落實和平，老教授在故鄉中國安徽省廬江縣湯池古鎮建立一實驗點，成立了「廬江文化教育中心」。

To help increase people’s confidence and to actualize peace and harmony, the Venerable Professor established the Lujiang Centre of Cultural Education in his hometown, Tangchi, Lujiang County, Anhui Province, China, and the ancient Chinese educational system of classical teachings was adopted as an experiment[g11] . 

三、中心教學概況

III.  THE BLUEPRINT OF THE LCCE

廬江文化教育中心以儒家經典為教材，培養倫理道德教育師資，並辦班教學，開展全民倫常教育。

The Lujiang Centre of Cultural Education (LCCE) uses Confucian Classics as teaching materials to train its seed teachers to be virtuous and to become role models of ethics.  It gives courses on ethical relations to the locals and holds seminars on “How to Lead a Happy Life” to[g12]  teach people all over the world.

兩年的教學實踐，湯池民風得到了顯著改善。充分證明了「人之初，性本善」，人民是可以教得好的。古老的傳統文化教育，對現代人的教化，起著巨大的作用。

After two years of learning and practicing, the social mores of Tangchi improved tremendously.  The Experiment fully testifies to the Confucian doctrine (teaching[g13] ) that “primordially[g14] , human nature was innately kind.”  People can be taught to be virtuous.  The ancient, traditional cultural education is greatly effective in transforming modern people.

教學宗旨：推動倫理道德教育，促進世界安定和平。

Mission of the LCCE:  to promote the education of morals and ethical relations, to advance world harmony, peace, and stability.

校訓：學為人師、行為世範，修身為本、教學為先。

Motto of the LCCE:  Learn to be a teacher, act to be a role model; self-cultivation is the foundation and education is the first priority.

教學綱要：中華五千年，聖賢教人，不外五事。即「父子有親，君臣有義，夫婦有別，長幼有序，朋友有信」。五事之中，又以「父子有親」的親愛為原點，漸次擴充至對家族、對國家乃至對全人類、對天地萬物的真誠愛心，落實在自己的日常生活中。

Teaching Principles:  The five thousand years of Chinese civilization and the teachings of the saints and sages are none other than five things, namely, “the affinity (natural love) between father and son, the integrity (propriety and loyalty) between the king and his subjects, the difference (different duties) between the husband and wife, the order (bonding)  between the elder and the younger, and the trust between friends.” Among these five relations, the starting point is the “affinity between father and son.” Emanating from this natural love between parents and children, it expands into the sincerity and love towards families, clans, nations, and eventually towards the world and all sentient beings between heaven and earth.  These ethical values must be actualized into daily lives.

教育德目：「孝悌忠信、禮義廉恥、仁愛和平」的倫理道德教育。

The Virtuous Tenets of the LEEC:  refer to the ethical education of “filial piety, fraternal love, loyalty, trust, propriety, righteousness, integrity, shamefulness, benevolence, love, harmony, and peace.”

主要教材：《弟子規》奠定德行基礎。

Major Teaching Material: Di Zi Gui (Standards for Being a Good Child and Student), to lay the foundation of ethics.

相關教材：《三字經》、《五種遺規》、《四書》、《德育課本》、《十三經》等。

Related Teaching Materials:  the Classic of the Tri-word Stanza (San-Zi Jing), The Five Disciplines from the Ancients, the Four Classics (Si-Shu), the Stories of the Eight Virtues, and the Thirteen Classics, etc.

課程安排：《弟子規》與現代生活、傳統文化與榮辱觀、企業管理、師道、聖賢風範、生活禮儀、健康飲食等系列課程。

The Curriculum: A series of classes on the following topics[g15] : Di Zi Gui and Modern Life, Traditional Culture and the Eight Honors and Eight Shames, Chinese Culture and the Science of Management, the way to be a good teacher (Teaching Methodology), Conducts of Saints and Sages, social manners and etiquette, Healthy Eating Habits in the New Century, etc.

傳統才藝培訓：書法、篆刻、太極拳、音樂、編織、剪紙等。

Training of Traditional Arts and Crafts: calligraphy, seal-carving, the martial art of Tai-Chi, music, needlework, the art of paper cutting, etc.

教學形式：各種辦班教學、網絡遠程教學。

Teaching Media:  All kinds of classes, lectures, seminars, and internet classes for long-distance students.