Bulletin Spring‧Summer 1998

and fame ceased to exercise power over him. From then on he faced life with an intelligent mind, an enlightened heart, and an intellect that is dear and free from impurities. He gives his utmost in everything he does, and he is more concerned with the effort than with the results. Taking stock of his career, one must say that Mr. Li is a fine example of the aspiring spirit of man. He views life through the carefree, nonchalant eyes of the Taoist, while as a businessman he adopts the best proactive attitudes of the Confucian. He has the charitable heart of the true Buddhist and believes that what has been taken from the community should be used to benefit the community. Mr. Li Ka-shing leads a remarkably frugal life. He does not rejoice in fame or money, but takes great satisfaction in an inner peace, and the gratification of the heart. He once observed that real wealth is not measured in terms of money, while a full life should not be reckoned by days. He then went on to point out that life is transient and just a matter of a few decades, and if one would just take from it and never give back, then even the greatest fortune would soon come to naught, as one's life comes to an end. When asked what his greatest achievements in life are, Mr. Li acknowledges that he should first thank Providence for allowing him a quiet, simple life. He is also grateful for being able to establish good faith with his sincerity among colleagues and friends. He once again stressed that he was thankful for the inner peace, the freedom from the harness of profit and fame, which enables him to apply his wealth to worthy, charitable causes. Mr. Li believes that it is only by maintaining this mentality that he can be truly happy, and lead a truly rich life. It is also this unblemished heart that enables him to stand, with his head held high, between heaven and earth. Mr. Li has always been k n own for his intelligence, and to this day he remains an avid reader who takes great pleasure in acquiring new knowledge. He acknowledges the importance of education and, out of his great love for Ms mother country and native town, he founded with an endowment the University of Shantou in 1981. Apa rt f r om p r o v i d i ng handsomely for its physical buildings, Mr. Li worked hard during the University's first years to ensure the success of this new establishment. It is his firm belief that educating the young is the best way to serve one's homeland and contribute to the long-term welfare of the community. And it is beyond dispute that the future of Hong Kong and China is contingent upon the quality of the education that we provide for our young people, who will be the pillars of our society tomorrow. Madam Chancellor, Mr. Li Ka-shing is not only an exceptionally outstanding businessman, but also a figure of international renown. As the chairman and managing director of Cheung Kong (Holdings) Limited and the chairman of Hu t c h i s on Whampoa L i m i t e d, Mr. L i is inundated w i th duties of great import and immense proportions. Yet he still finds time for charitable activities and has given most generously to various causes. Buildings donated by him in China are never named after him, and his ph i l an t h r op ic wo rk in Ho ng Ko ng is similarly low-key. His sole concern is to help those in need, and the support he has given to educational and medical services is legendary. Madam Chancellor, in consideration of his remarkable achievements, his philanthropic deeds and his exemplary virtues, I present Li Ka-shing for the award of the degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa. (Written in Chinese by Serena Jin, translated by the Bulletin) Chinese University Bulletin Spring • Summer 1998 12