2025年歲次乙巳，肖蛇。「蛇」在我們部份宗教或信仰裏，一方面被視為是「妖」或「怪」類，是陰險奸詐的代表。另一方面，他又被冠以正面的涵義，是「靈巧」的動物，是「智慧」的代表，例如在佛教，蛇是「天龍八部」成員之一，是保護一切善人的「保護神」。

世界萬物，是妖，是怪，還是「護法神」，皆在動念之間。所謂一念天堂，一念地獄。世界各國政府或權勢團體，既能化身天龍八部保護人類，也能製造戰爭禍害人間。大家所見，在過去一年，歐洲、中東、亞洲及非洲國家屢生戰禍，令百姓生活在水深火熱的苦難之中。香港六宗教同寅謹藉本新春文告，呼籲全球民眾，眾願成城，為世界和平而祈禱，願戰火早息，百姓早日回復和平的正常生活。

近年，除了烽火連天的熱戰之外，國際間也出現經濟及文化上的激烈競爭，隨着競爭採用了越來越多的不良手段，我們有見競爭國之間的人民、乃至其他周邊經濟體的人民均深受其害，例如：遭受失業、高通脹、生意受損等嚴重打擊。宗教界相信，全世界人民對構建和平、和諧的世界存有美好的期盼，我們深切期盼，不同國家、不同文明、不同宗教和種族的人民，求同存異，多元合一，以開放包容的態度，攜手合作，創造互利互贏的大局面。

近年，我們的祖國提出「全球人類命運共同體」的概念，習近平主席曾提出：「人類應該和衷共濟、和合共生。推動構建人類命運共同體，不是以一種制度代替另一種制度，不是以一種文明代替另一種文明，而是不同社會制度、不同意識形態、不同歷史文化、不同發展水準的國家在國際事務中利益共生、權利共用、責任共擔，形成共建美好世界的最大公約數。」宗教界認為，有關提倡，非常值得全世界人類思考及推行。

國際局勢的混亂，實際是「人心」的混亂，是貪婪、嫉妒和仇恨之表露，是「縱心喪善」的行為。故此，治亂之根本，在於治「人心」。宗教界呼籲全球人類，應大力提倡思想品德教育，扭轉物質主義、享樂主義、個體主義潮流趨勢，只有人心得度，世界才會淨化、和諧，才可變得和平安定。

蛇年肇始，四序復端！最後，香港六宗教同寅謹祝願世界和平，國家富強，香港繁榮穩定，百業再興，市民安居樂業，一同攜手創造一個具希望的未來。

香港六宗教領袖座談會
香港佛教聯合會會長　　　　寬運法師
天主教香港教區宗座署理　　周守仁樞機
孔教學院院長　　　　　　　湯恩佳博士
中華回教博愛社主席　　　　脫瑞康先生
香港基督教協進會主席　　　王家輝牧師
香港道教聯合會主席　　　　梁德華道長

二零二五年一月十三日

2025, Year Yi-si is the ‘Year of the Snake.’ In some religions or religious faiths, ‘the snake’, on one hand, is seen as ‘an evil spirit’ and ‘a monster’ archetype, and on the other hand, it is viewed with some positive sense. It is considered ‘a soulful agile’ creature, a representative of ‘wisdom’. For example, in Buddhism, the snake is a member of ‘Demi gods’ and ‘Semi Devils’, the ‘guardian angel’ of all people of goodness.

The myriads of things in the world, be they ‘evil spirits’ or ‘monsters’ or ‘Saṃvara’, the protective deity, are all in the movement of thoughts, the so-called ‘one moment of thought on heaven and one moment of thought on hell’. Since the different governments in the world or the power groups can become ‘Demi gods’ and ‘Semi Devils’ who protect humanity, they can also create disastrous wars in the world. It can be perceived that in the past year, wars have been waged in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa where people have to suffer in the hell of war. We, the Colloquium of Six Religious Leaders of Hong Kong, through this New Year’s Message, are calling people around the world, to pray together for world peace. We wish that wars will soon end and people can get back to the peace of normal life.

In recent years, besides the raging fires of war, fierce economic and cultural competitions have also appeared internationally. As those competitions are getting more and more aggressive, their nationals as well as people of countries of the same economic system suffer severe blows as a result. For instance, unemployment, high inflation, business losses are examples that suffer from the economic blow. The religious sector believes that the whole world has the beautiful longing for a world of peace and harmony. We deeply hope that people of different countries, different cultures, different religions and ethnicities could all seek similarities and keep the differences to promoting unity in plurality. We must use openness, and tolerance to join hands together and create the win-win situation of mutual benefits.

In recent years, our motherland has brought forth the concept: ‘A Global Community of Shared Future’. President Xi Jinping has brought forth: ‘People must together work for the good of humanity one-heartedly and harmoniously. The drive to establish a community with a shared future for mankind is not to use one system to replace another nor to use one civilization to replace another, but to use a different social system, a different ideology, a different historical civilization, a different development norm of countries in mutual beneficial existence in international affairs, the mutual use of rights, the sharing of mutual responsibilities and duties, the highest factor to build a beautiful world.’ The religious sector thinks that the suggestions are worthy to be considered and driven forth by the whole humanity.

The confusion of the international scene is in reality, the confusion of the ‘human heart’. It is the expression of greed, jealousy and hatred. It is the conduct of the ‘dissoluteness of the heart and loss of goodness’. Hence, the root of stopping violence lies in the curing of ‘the human heart’. The religious sector appeals to all the people in the world to strongly promote ideological and moral education in order to turn around the trend of materialism, hedonism and individualism. It is only when the human heart becomes enlightened before the world can be purified and harmonized and thus, becomes peaceful and stable.

As the Year of the Snake begins, a new cycle of the four seasons begins once more. All of us, the Six Religions of Hong Kong wish for world peace, our nation’s prosperity and strength, Hong Kong SAR’s prosperity and stability, and business growth. We also wish our citizens to enjoy peace in life and joy in work and together create a hope –filled future.

The Colloquium of Six Religious Leaders of Hong Kong
The Most Ven. Kuan Yun, President, The Hong Kong Buddhist Association
The Cardinal Stephen Chow Sau Yan, S.J. Bishop, Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong
Dr. Tong Yun Kai, President, The Confucian Academy
Mr. Tuet Sui Hong, Ali, Chairman, The Chinese Muslim Cultural and Fraternal Association
Rev. Wong Ka Fai, Chairperson, Hong Kong Christian Council
Mr. Leung Tak Wah, Chairman, The Hong Kong Taoist Association