Thursday, 1 October 2009

The Day The Earth Gets Very Angry



全球經濟不景氣已進入近一個年頭,甲型H1N1流感病毒也在世界各地蔓延,造成上千個人死亡,昨天一天內,又接連發生了至少3起大災難,包括印尼蘇門答臘發生里氏7.6級大地震,目前罹難人數超過千人、南太平洋薩摩亞群島發生8級強烈地震並引發大海嘯,上百人可能已經不幸遇難,以及颱風“凱薩娜”在越南和柬埔寨分別造成上百個人喪命。

人類即將跨入21世紀第十個年頭。回首過去的兩千年,剛結束的20世紀可以說是人類最血腥、最災難、最荒唐的100年:發生了兩次世界大戰,恐怖主義蔓延整個地球,結果總共導致上億人死亡。這個數字超過了20世紀前1,900年間人類非正常死亡的總和!

雖然今日我們處在科技的時代裏,人類物質文明高速發展、科技騰飛、工業發達、教育普及,而且人類不斷向更高品質的生活努力邁進; 然而望眼所見、所聞, 天災頻頻不斷、道德日日頹廢、人心不安苦痛,種種不祥之氣乃瀰漫世間; 我們欲求福反得禍, 欲避苦卻為苦所逼, 社會危難已至千鈞一髮之際,人類到底出了什麼問題?

參考英國歷史學家Paul Johnson在他那本知名的專著Modern Times一書中,對此進行了總結。他以基督教的觀點指出,主要原因是人類在20世紀遠離了上帝,喪失了信仰,沒有了精神導引。和上帝之間的纜繩被砍斷之後,人類之船,就漂浮在迷茫的大海,於是列寧、斯大林、希特勒、波爾布特、薩達姆們等各類狂熱者(zealot),成了各種「偉大舵手」,把人類之船,開向了革命、屠殺、浩劫和無邊的苦難……(資料來源:擁抱災難的20世紀/曹長青)

展望未來,英國宇宙學家Martin Lee在他出版的新書《最後的世紀》中預言,地球在未來200年內將面臨十大迫在眉睫的災難,人類能夠倖免的機會只有50%,這些災難包括:一、粒子實驗可以吞噬地球,二、機器人接管世界,三、納米機器人,四、生化武器的危害離人類並不遙遠,五、超級火山爆發,六、地震引發世界經濟危機,七、小行星撞毀地球概率大過彩票中大獎,八、熱死地球溫室效應日益明顯,九、戰爭和核武器,除了以上九種人類可能面臨的威脅外,科學家將最後一種威脅歸之於大自然的不可抗力。

無數的天災與人禍,應驗了佛經裡所說末法時代、壞劫時期、小三災與大三災頻傳;其所帶來的刀兵劫、饑荒、瘟疫,乃至天搖地動、天崩地裂而使山河變色,讓地球上的眾生哀鴻遍野,飽嚐親離子散、家破人亡的浩劫與痛苦,也讓我們付出慘痛的代價,見證了大自然力量之巨大而從中體悟人身之渺小、人體之脆弱及世事之無常。

博地凡夫的我們該如何轉變厄運、開創真實幸福之路呢? 曾看過近代印光大師懇切地告知我們: 「現在世界之劫運, 吾人所受種種災難, 皆是過去惡業所招, 以致感受現在苦果。 故知此惡業者, 即過去惡因之所造成也。 欲免苦果, 須去苦因。 過去已種之苦因, 念佛懺悔, 乃能消去。 現在如不再種苦因, 將來即能免受苦果。 何謂苦因, 貪瞋癡三毒是也。 何謂善因, 濟物利人是也。 若人人明達因果之理, 則諸惡莫作, 眾善奉行, 災害自無從起矣。 唯今人不明因果之理, 私欲填胸, 無惡不作, 祇知自己, 不知有人。 詎知利人即是利己, 害人甚於害己。」

人生短暫, 世間無常, 趁此身體尚健在時, 應及時用此身勤修福慧, 慎勿放逸造諸惡業!還有,我也沒有忘了「克己復禮,民德歸厚」的新生活運動(雖然我承認我做得很爛:P),期待人人為自我的生活、行動做檢測,降低欲求、力行節約,盡量減少地球的負擔,保護地球,人人有責,盼共勉之!

此外,健康的身體真的很重要,必須有足夠的睡眠,所以,我要睡覺去啦!晚安~ ^^

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Earth Song - by Michael Jackson

What about sunrise
What about rain
What about all the things
That you said we were to gain.. .
What about killing fields
Is there a time
What about all the things
That you said was yours and mine...
Did you ever stop to notice
All the blood we've shed before
Did you ever stop to notice
The crying Earth the weeping shores?

Aaaaaaaaaah Aaaaaaaaaah

What have we done to the world
Look what we've done
What about all the peace
That you pledge your only son...
What about flowering fields
Is there a time
What about all the dreams
That you said was yours and mine...
Did you ever stop to notice
All the children dead from war
Did you ever stop to notice
The crying Earth the weeping shores

Aaaaaaaaaaah Aaaaaaaaaaah

I used to dream
I used to glance beyond the stars
Now I don't know where we are
Although I know we've drifted far

Aaaaaaaaaaah Aaaaaaaaaaaah
Aaaaaaaaaaah Aaaaaaaaaaaah

Hey, what about yesterday
(What about us)
What about the seas
(What about us)
The heavens are falling down
(What about us)
I can't even breathe
(What about us)
What about the bleeding Earth
(What about us)
Can't we feel its wounds
(What about us)
What about nature's worth
(ooo,ooo)
It's our planet's womb
(What about us)
What about animals
(What about it)
We've turned kingdoms to dust
(What about us)
What about elephants
(What about us)
Have we lost their trust
(What about us)
What about crying whales
(What about us)
We're ravaging the seas
(What about us)
What about forest trails
(ooo, ooo)
Burnt despite our pleas
(What about us)
What about the holy land
(What about it)
Torn apart by creed
(What about us)
What about the common man
(What about us)
Can't we set him free
(What about us)
What about children dying
(What about us)
Can't you hear them cry
(What about us)
Where did we go wrong
(ooo, ooo)
Someone tell me why
(What about us)
What about babies
(What about it)
What about the days
(What about us)
What about all their joy
(What about us)
What about the man
(What about us)
What about the crying man
(What about us)
What about Abraham
(What was us)
What about death again
(ooo, ooo)
Do we give a damn

No comments: