World needs religious harmony, mutual learning, experts say

Representatives from different religious backgrounds said at the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2023 that the world needs religious harmony and mutual learning among civilizations to achieve inclusiveness and coexistence.

Yin Shun, vice-president of the Buddhist Association of China, also the president of the Buddhist Association of Hainan province, said during the forum that ran from Tuesday to Friday in Boao, a coastal town in Hainan province, that the more uncertain the era is, the more we must join hands to find the "definite force" from respective civilizations and religions, work together in harmony, exchange dialogue, and mutually learn among civilizations.

"In that way, we can restore the inner stable order and explore the common value construction of humanity for people in uncertain times.

"All things grow together without harming each other and the rules go hand in hand without contradicting each other," he said.

The 5,000-year-old civilization of the Chinese nation advocated that all countries in the world "have their own beauty and appreciate the beauty of others and achieve the unity of the world". That shows China's determination and sincerity to adhere to peaceful development and promote the construction of a community with a shared future for humanity, he added.

Liu Chengyong, a native German and president of the German Taoist Association, said at a sub-forum on Friday that harmony between people is the first step.

"If you have harmony in your home, you will lead a happy life. So harmony in your personal life is very important.

"The next step is harmony in the country. If all the people in the country are working well together, then the ultimate goal is for all countries to live in harmony."

Liu has been practicing tai chi and martial arts for decades to promote health and fitness. In Germany, he teaches Wudang Kung Fu and health preservation exercises and Taoist culture. He has students from all over the world. In 2007, he came on a pilgrimage to China and studied, practiced and lived as a Taoist on Wudang Mountain.

"The harmony between the belief systems or religions is very important. Sometimes you see there's a harmony in different countries because they are all based on beliefs," he said.