I don't have the time to translate Master Hsingyun's text on how
a Buddhist should react towards rumours, scandals, wrong/harsh
speech (恶口）, quarrels (是非）, defamation. Afterall, we live in an
information age of internet, where an information of explosion
appear on the internet every day or on daily media. We are faced
with quarrel speech, flames, harsh speech, scandals allegation
etc.
But his text reflects great wisdom on how we buddhist should
react. I've translated some of his wise text into English.
The world does not refrain from speaking the truth. Whenever a
person is doing something, the heaven is watching. When a person is
speaking, the heaven is listening. The universe's "right" will
always be "right", "wrong" will always be "wrong". Karma, Causes
and Effect cannot be changed. Right and Wrong can thus not change
its position. "A good person will be bullied, the heaven does not
bully; People are afraid of evil, the heaven is not afraid. The
Right and Wrong will return you a justice, before the act of causes
and effect.
Right and Wrong, Good and Evil, Causes and Effect is clear.
Alas, many people had been entangled within the right and wrong
quarrel, life is not liberated. There are also people who cannot
tolerate rumours and use suicide to prove one's cleaniness. In
fact, "a clean person is self-clean, a muddy person is self-muddy.
When right and wrong quarrels (defamation, rumours) reaches a wise
person, one should act towards "Don't say anything about
right and wrong (dispute), Don't listen anything about right and
wrong, Don't respond anything about right and
wrong, Don't spread anything about right and wrong, Don't be afraid
of right and wrong". What can "right and
wrong" do towards me?"
Anyone who say about right and wrong will be a "right and wrong"
(quarrel) person. We only need to have a clear conscience towards
our mind and heart, it might not necessarily be just as one wishes.
We only need to act right, do right, faced with "right and wrong"
(quarrel), what should we be afraid of ?
星云大师
著作：迷悟之间
是非的可怕
“是非朝朝有，没有现在多。”现在的家庭、社会、朋友、兄弟、夫妻等……真是此亦是“是非”，彼亦是“是非”，到处“是是非非”，搅乱得大家纷扰不已。
人生本来是很快乐，美妙的生活，可是“是非”像温疫不断的侵扰着你，有时候躲也躲不开，所谓“好事不出门，坏事传千里”，这证明“是非”有无比的力量。“道高一尺，魔高一丈”，诚不虚也。
有的人把别人的好事，说成坏事；有的人把自己的坏事，说成是好事，混淆是非，让人捉不着，也摸不透，找不出事实真相。
是非与谣言，如难兄难弟，本来就很难划清界限；只要有人说：“大家讲的”、“别人都这么说”、“他们都说得千真万确”，这就成了是非与谣言。
佛教里把妄语、两舌、恶口、绮语都认为是“是非”。国际间强权者就为“是”，弱势者就为“非”；社会上有钱者就为“是”，无财者就为“非”。更有一些别有用心的人把“非”说成“是”，把是说成“非”，翻云覆雨，只靠如簧之舌；甚至现在有些传播媒体哗众取宠、颠倒世间，真是无所不用其极。
有的人被是非所困，扰攘终日不得安宁；有的人给是非陷害，丧失了本有的成就。曾子的母亲，有一天有人告诉她：曾子杀人了！她当然不信，但当第二个、第三个人告诉她：曾子杀人了！她也不得不信。所谓：“三人成虎”，共产党有一句名言：“人说了三十次的谎言，就成了真理！”是非谎言，怎不可怕？
但是，世间上并不是真的不讲真理，所谓“人在做天在看，人在说天在听”；宇宙间大道之行“是”的终究是“是”，“非”的终究是“非”，因果是不能改变的，是非当然也不能异位。“善有人欺天不欺，恶有人怕天不怕”，是非在因果之前，必定会还给你一个公道。
是非、善恶、因果明明白白，可惜多少人为了是非，生活不能自在，甚至有人禁不起谣言，以自杀来表明清白。其实，“清者自清，浊者自浊”；是非止于智者，吾人应该做到“不说是非、不听是非、不理是非、不传是非、不怕是非。”“是非”又岂奈我何？
“来说是非者、便是是非人”；吾人只要无愧我心，不一定尽如人意。只要吾人行得正、做得正，面对是非，何足畏哉？
