第三篇｜神聖是什麼

Chapter 3 — What Is the Sacred

 

神聖是職務

The Sacred as a Function

 

In human civilization,

when people speak of the sacred,

they often think of deities.

 

Many cultures have described

gods, angels, bodhisattvas,

or beings that safeguard the world.

 

Different civilizations

use different names

to describe these roles.

 

Some call them gods,

some call them guardians,

some call them messengers,

 

and in other traditions

they are described as angels

or bodhisattvas.

 

The names differ,

but across history

humans have been describing

the same kind of role:

 

those who assume responsibility

for maintaining order.

 

From the perspective

of the structure of the universe,

the sacred is not a race.

 

The sacred

is a function.

 

In any complex system,

order must be maintained.

 

When certain beings

assume the responsibility

of maintaining order,

 

they are referred to as sacred.

 

Therefore,

the sacred is not an identity,

nor a privilege.

 

What the sacred represents

is the assumption of responsibility

for order.

 

In human civilizations,

religions use different names

to describe these roles.

 

The names differ,

but what they point to

are beings who undertake

functions of order.

 

Thus, it can be said:

 

The sacred is not a race.

The sacred is a function.

 

萬物同在 各循其序

All things coexist, each following its own order

 

程彥勛｜台灣

Cheng Yanxun | Taiwan