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9 Apr, 2013

Master Hsing Yun at Boao Forum: Asia Losing Its Traditions of Honesty and Integrity

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BEIJING, April 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — As Asia grows aware of it’s soft power, the virtue of honesty and integrity are caught in a crisis. Master Hsing Yun , the founder of the Buddha’s Light International Association was invited, with Mr. Liu Changle, Chairman of Phoenix TV, to discuss the strength of honesty and integrity at the 2013 Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) on April 6. They tried to answer questions such as why we have broken off so desperately with the ideals and idealism we once firmly adhered to, what has been going wrong and where the way out is.

During the 2013 Boao Forum for Asia, Master Hsing Yun was invited to discuss the strength of honesty and integrity on April 6. (PRNewsFoto/Secretariat of the Boao Forum)

Master Hsing Yun believes that the loss of honesty and integrity will harm the whole society. “The Chinese character for honesty (cheng) is composed of words and success. It indicates that if you want success then you should keep and fulfill your promises. In other words, make your words credible”, he said.

Most ancient Chinese philosophers, including Confucius, Mencius and Laozi, believe in the virtue of honesty and integrity, so do Buddhists. Master Hsing Yun thinks everyone should try to be an upright person first before he or she asks others to. He emphasized that one’s honesty and integrity measure the worth of a person.

A recent survey shows that people now find it hard to trust others. In recent years, tension and conflicts between police and citizens, doctors and patients, enterprises and customers are not rare.

The rise of a country is based on more than economic growth. Its cultural charm, i.e., soft power, sometimes speaks louder. The loss of honesty and integrity was categorized by Mr. Liu into three groups: relationship between government and citizens, enterprises and customers, and people in society. For example, public trust for civil servants, teachers, or doctors, who have been highly respected in the past, is declining. Corruption damages public trust. Liu also discussed the problematic integrity of mass media itself and emphasized the urgency of the problem.

As a non-government, non-profit international organization, BFA brings the voice of Asia to the world, attracting thousands of leaders in government, business and academia in Asia and other continents to share visions on the most pressing issues in this dynamic region and the world at large.