Yutong Liu (Tianjin Normal University).
The temple, which should be a favorite place for middle-aged and elderly people, has now become popular among young people, and the planting notes of major temples can be seen everywhere on major social platforms. Since February this year, among the people who have booked tickets for the temple scenic spot, the post-90s and post-00s have accounted for nearly 50%, becoming the main force to light the temple incense. Even with social **, every time the blessing season comes, it will be swiped by "electronic prayer", and young people seem to really fall in love with burning incense and worshiping Buddha. A large number of netizens ridiculed: Young people choose incense between work and school, and choose to seek Buddha between seeking others and seeking themselves. In this case, there is a sharp comment: "Young people don't go to class, they don't go to school, they only go to incense", which inevitably aroused heated discussions: Is it a sign that young people go to the temple to pray to God and worship Buddha is not a sign of not struggling and not being motivated?
Previously, a netizen's sentence, "Education is not only a stepping stone, but also a high platform that I can't get off, and it is a long gown that Kong Yiji can't take off", which resonated with a large number of young people. In response to this "Confucian literature", there is an official ** sharp comment, "Young people must have ambitions and learn to take off their highly educated gowns." And this time, "young people don't go to class, don't go to school, only incense" is undoubtedly another "preaching" for young people that has been hotly discussed by the majority of netizens after "Kong Yiji Literature". Saying that young people are not motivated and only incense can be a kind of ridicule of young netizens about themselves;But if this is really admonished as a serious matter, it is a double misreading of young people and temple tours. Moreover, from the perspective of logical relationship alone, even if young people really fall in love with incense, there is no inevitable connection with not going to class and not being motivated, and being motivated and incense is not an either/or relationship, who said that there must be a contradiction between incense and progress. There is no need to be nervous, and there is no need to over-interpret, instead of criticizing them for giving up hard work and passively avoiding the world, it is better to empathize;Instead of standing on the commanding heights and worrying that young people are only incense and not motivated, it is better to care about why they choose incense and what they want
Asking God to worship Buddha is nothing but self-resolution under high pressure, and self-reconciliation under anxiety. The gate of the temple seems to be an enchantment, outside the boundary is overtime and endless learning, and inside the boundary is compassion and equality of all beings. Listening to the sound of the Buddha bell and immersing yourself in the incense, the Dharma seems to have become a medicine within reach. Under the external environmental factors, the psychological state of young people has changed, and seeking psychological relief or comfort has become a common trait. The more stress and uncertainty there is in life, the more people tend to resort to supernatural forces for stress and anxiety. Among the many channels for young people to find ways to release stress, they chose temples full of incense and solemn treasures, which is also a kind of inspiration for traditional Chinese culture. In the grand narrative background of religious culture, the temple connects the bones and veins of the development of Chinese history and culture, and condenses the genes of traditional culture. Buddhism, as a religious belief, belongs to a special social ideology and cultural phenomenon, carrying a kind of utopian emotional sustenance. As a specific spiritual symbol, he uses fireworks to transform the anxiety in people's hearts into a sense of "blessed" security. Therefore, young people walk into the temple with an expectation of looking for a "tree hole", tell the Buddha about the recent pressure and anxiety, and make a wish for peace and health and all the best, which is exactly the window for them to release negative emotions and spiritual internal friction when they face the confusion and anxiety of reality.
Asking God and worshiping Buddha does not mean that you completely pin your life for a turn on supernatural forces, nor does it mean that you have given up your efforts and struggles. On the contrary, making a wish may be the peace of mind and a positive hint that we seek for ourselves after doing our best. Whether you pass the exam or have a smooth career, people go to the temple to make such a "worldly" wish. In praying to God and worshiping Buddha, young people place an expectation on a more "upward" and "positive" life. Even if it is just a moment of tranquility, it adds a touch of courage and certainty to those young people who need to "fight wits and courage" with life at all times, so that they can face life more enthusiastically and positively. In fact, a temple tour is the same as believing that changing your avatar will bring you good luck and that you can go ashore by changing your wallpaper, which is a positive psychological suggestion. Young people don't really care about the wisp of green smoke rising when the incense is applied, but when they hope for the blessing of external forces, it just shows that they want to be better and are not willing to give up any opportunity and possibility. Self-redemption under pressure, offering incense and praying for blessings while working hard are all young people's desire to find a habitat for restless and impetuous hearts. They believe in the power of "believing".
In fact, it is not difficult for us to find that whether it is incense or Kong Yiji's self-deprecation, it is a kind of mentality and self-healing method for young people. These behaviors are just an outlet for emotional release, not really immersed in self-pity. In such a fast-paced and miscellaneous era, "struggle is the background color of young people", every young person is practicing it. The word "involution" has been popular from a few years ago to the present, which reflects their most real life state. With the rapid changes in the social situation and the increasing difficulty of employment and further education, the life of every young person who has just entered the society is facing great uncertainty. They can only keep moving forward, roll up their academic papers, work papers, roll their peers, roll their competitors, and explore a possible future for themselves in this way. They live hard, look forward to it, use self-deprecation to express their inner helplessness, and burn incense to dissolve their anxiety, such young people should not be misunderstood, let alone ridiculed.
Preaching to blame young people for "superstition" and "struggle" will not solve their plight. We should not only see their "praying to God and worshiping Buddha" and magnify it infinitely, but also face up to the current situation of young people in a complex society and the difficulties and pressures they are facing. Behind the incense and self-deprecation, in fact, what really reflects a series of problems such as difficulty in employment and development. Relevant departments and leaders should see and solve such problems, actively improve various mechanisms and systems, provide a richer stage, and start from the aspects that young people are most concerned about, so as to reduce the pressure given to them by the society when young people first enter the society. The "requests" of young people should not only be heard by the "Buddha", but also by the whole society. What they need may be just a little bit of kindness, understanding, care and unwavering support from society.