I. Introduction
II. Significance of Six Concords in Monastic Life
1.Historical
2. Doctrinal
3. Religious Significance
4. Community Significance
III. The Six Concords and Its Significance in Taiwan
1. Monastery
a. Living together at one place
b. Practicing kind speech to avoid all quarrels
c. Reconciling differing view points
d. Observing the same precepts
c. Sharing the understanding the Dharma
d. Sharing material resources
2. Family
3. Religious School
4. Community
IV. A Buddhist Ethic for the 21st Century
V. Conclusion

I. Introduction

Technological development has people of Taiwan economic prosperity. However, increase in prosperity has adversely affected the morality of Taiwan citizens. They are selfish their manner of speech and action are self-centered. Newspapers are filled with reported of killing, theft, suicide, and sex crimes. In order to counteract these antisocial behaviors and renew morality, I believe, we must teach antisocial behaviors and renew morality, I believe, we must teach moral education in the schools, temples, government and business. The Buddhist Monastic Discipline especially the teaching of the Six Concords offers a good model.

The spirit of Buddhism is intended to educate and mold human beings to modify their behavior and to retrain from doing evil. Buddha’s teachings can show us has to conduct our lives and purify our thoughts. Buddhist devotees have adopted the six Concords for highest self -control to govern the lives of monks and nuns in the Monastic Order.

Definition
The Six Concords is a blue-print which Buddhist living in monasteries have followed for harmonious community. The Six Concords : 1. Bodily unity in form worship, 2. Oral unity in charity, 3. Mental unity in faith, 4. Moral unity in observing the precepts, 5. Doctrinal unity in views and explanations, and 6. Economic unity in community of goods, deeds and studies.

This paper will the first briefly describe the definition of the Six Concords, how Buddha taught the Six Concords to Ananda, and how they relate to the religious life. Second will focus on the Six Concords and its significance in Taiwan such as monasteries where they are observed. Each of the Six Concords will explain how monks and nuns understood and preached. In addition, the significance of the Six Concords will discuss in different places such as family, religious schools, and community. Finally this will propose a Buddhist ethic for the 21st century. Here paper will outline how the Six Concords can help to raise the probity of Taiwan.

II. Significance of Six Concords in Monastic Life
1. Historical

The Six Concords modified by the Chinese during the T’ang Dynasty (625 A. D.) Ch’an sect was very popular in China. Many monks observed the necessities of Chines society, then they modify the Buddhist’s life-style so that citizens could adopted. Two monks, Ma-Ju (700-780 BC) and Pai-Chang (720-814 B. C. ), helped to transform the Six Concords from an Indian practice to a Chinese practice. In India monks led a mendicant life. But Chinese society did not approve of such life style. Pai-Change abandoned the mendicant life for living in the temples. They created a new Chinese-Buddhist-Monastery-System-Life. This Chinese Monastery-System-Life-Style was subsequently adapted and new rules. All these rules relate to the advanced courses of study and practice in the courses of higher precepts, meditation, and wisdom. The Monastic Order the established enables better communication and socialization among the monks and nuns.

2. Doctrines Sources
The Six Concords appear in several different sutras. The clearest statement of the six concords appears in the Majjhima-Nikaya (Agama), the Samagama Sutta, the Buddha saying:

Ananda , these six things are to be remembered, making for affection, making for respect; they conduce to concord, to lack of contention, to harmony and unity. What six? Herein, Ananda, a monk should offer his fellow Brahma-fares a friendly act of body both in public and in private. This is a thing to be remembered, making for affection, making for respect, which conducts to concord, to lack of contention, to harmony and unity. And again, Ananda, a monk should offer a friendly act of speech… a friendly act o f thought... Both in public and in private. This too is a thing to be remembered, making for affection, making for respect… to harmony and unity. And again, Ananda, whatever are those lawful acquisitions, lawfully acquired, if they be even but what is put into the begging bowl-a monk should be one to enjoy sharing such acquisitions, to enjoy them in common with his virtuous fellow Brahma-fares. This too is a thing to be remembered… And faultless, without flaw, spotless, without blemish, freeing, praised by wise men, untarnished, conducive to concentration-a monk should dwell united in moral habits such as these with his fellow Brahma-fares, both in public and in private. This too is a thing to be remembered… And again, Ananda, whatever view is Ariyan, leading onwards, leading him who acts according to it to the complete destruction of anguish-a monk should dwell united in such a view as this with his fellow Brahma-fares, both in public and private. This too is a thing to be remembered; making for affection, making for respect, it conducts to concord, to lack of contention, to harmony and unity. Ananda, these are the six things to be remembered, making for affection, making for respect, which conduce to concord, to lack of contention, to harmony and unity. If you, Ananda, undertaking these six things to be remembered should practice them. Would you, Ananda, see any way of speech, subtle or gross, that you could not endure. No, Revered One, Wherefore, Ananda, undertaking these six things to be remembered, practice them; for a long time it will be for your welfare and happiness.


The sutras give similar the explanation of the six concords. They are:
1. Bodily unity in form worship
2. Oral unity in charity
3. Mental unity in faith
4. moral unity in observing the precepts
5. doctrinal unity in views and explanations, and
6. Economic unity in community of goods, deeds and studies.

3. Religious Significance

“Sangha” means “crowd” or “gathering”. It came to refer specifically to the Buddhist and Community. The monastic community is made up of two groups: the order of monks and the order of nuns’ together they are called the twofold community. The life in monastery was an education in a life of purity which led to Nirvana. The rules of the Community were regarded as “educational precepts.” To enter the community, an individual had to accept the goals of the religious life. Buddha explained that the goal of the religious was to obtain liberation from suffering and to attain Nirvana or Arhatship.

Members of the Sangha can follow two paths to Nirvana. The first is the path of the Arhat. The second is the path of unenlightened individuals. The path of the arhat is a path of emancipation. Ordering beings must observe the six concords: they are 1. Bodily unity worship means to cultivate concordance. 2. Oral unity in charity means to praise the same speech. 3. Mental unity in faith means to be faithful each other. 4. Moral unity in observing the precepts means to focus on the same precepts. 5. Doctrinal unity in views and explanation means to practice the same sutra. 6. Economic unity in community of goods, deeds, studies and charity means all clothing and food are allocated equally to every one.

4. Community Significance

The purpose of the six concords is to build a strong and perfect Sangha. The six concords are the principles which create a strong community. Monastic Community is only possible with concord. When its members observe the sic concords, Thich Nhat Hahon, a victnunnese Zen Master, reformulated the sic concords taught be the Buddha. They are 1. Living together at one place, 2. Sharing material resources, 3. Observing the same precepts, 4. Sharing the understanding of dharma and the experience of practice with each other, 5. Reconciling differing view-points, and 6. Practicing kind speech to avoid all quarrels. In Agama, Buddha taught more clear about the six concords because Buddha emphasized that harmony should offer a friendly act of speech and c friendly act of thought both in private and public with every monks and nuns. However, Thich Nhat Hahon does not point out specific element. He mentions that members should shared material and Dharma, and live together. And he adopts Buddha’s teaching to development more detail each of them. Thus the best method is Buddha’s teaching-six concords. This paper will attempt to interpret this six principles.