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Translated Sūtra, Transcultural Dharma: Three Father-Son Parables of the Lotus Sūtra in English and French from Kumārajīva Chinese Version
On Reincarnation and Emptiness
The importance of the idea of reincarnation was brought to me one afternoon in a small Sherpa village in Nepal near Mt. Everest. The village had a small Buddhist temple and it contained Tibetan texts that interested me. When I asked if I could look at the texts that were housed in the shrine room, the guardian of the temple said they were being kept for the Lama and were not available to others. I asked if I could meet the Lama, expecting to hear that he was on a trip and away. Instead, the person said, “You can. He is just over there in that house” and he pointed to it nearby. I walked over and was greeted by a woman holding a young child. They were both very beautiful and their resemblance noticeable. As you may guess, the child in her arms was the Lama. She explained, looking at the boy with a mix of pride, reverence, and sadness: “This Lama has come to me and I must care for him until he is ready to be trained again.” She was aware that by the time he was five or six, he would be taken from her to live his life as a Lama.
Compassion and Enlightenment: Exploring the Depth of Human Connection and Awakening
Master Mingkai’s Humanistic Buddhist Thoughts: Origins, Methods and Uses in Contemporary China
This paper delves into the Humanistic Buddhist thoughts of Master Mingkai (明開長老) from Xiyuan Temple and its profound origins. By meticulously tracing Master Mingkai’s life experiences and intellectual background, the paper reveals his unique contributions to the formation of Humanistic Buddhist thoughts. Humanistic Buddhism originated from Master Taixu’s concept of “Human Life Buddhism” and was further developed by figures such as Venerable Master Hsing Yun and Master Fancheng, who emphasized the application of Buddhism in real life and its concern for society. As a student of Master Taixu, Master Mingkai integrated the traditional wisdom of Chinese Buddhism with the developmental needs of modern society, creating a distinct and characteristic system of Humanistic Buddhist thoughts.
Bodhisattva in the Perfection of Wisdom Buddhist Texts
When we talk about the Prajnaparamita, we sometimes get deep into it. To begin, I have always been interested in the fact that before Sakyamuni became the Buddha and gained his enlightenment, he went to other teachers. We don’t often think about what his teachers have taught him. For example, Alara Kalama taught him a meditation where he could experience infinite space and be conscious of infinite space. After being taught about how to meditate in this way and having experienced infinite space, the Buddha thought it was interesting but it wasn’t good enough. He still hasn’t had the release and hasn’t reached moksha. So, he continued to study with other teachers. Uddaka taught him to go deeper into his mind and reach a mental state which is neither perception nor the lack of perception. A very deep and special state. But, once again, it wasn’t sufficient. Why wasn’t it sufficient? What was lacking? Why did he keep pursuing another path? What was the path he pursued? And, what was the difference between what he finally reached and what his great teachers had taught him? I looked into the Eight Thousand-Line Perfection of Wisdom Sutra having these questions in mind. When we look into this sutra, it is interesting to see that when the Buddha had gathered his audience, all of them were arhats. There was not a bodhisattva in sight. Where were all these bodhisattvas then? What we later on defined as a bodhisattva is what the Prajnaparamita Sutras taught for the first time. The Prajnaparamita created the bodhisattvas. In other words, at the time when he started teaching, this was the first Prajnaparamita Sutra. When the Buddha first taught it, there were no bodhisattvas of the type that we later see. Later in the sutra the bodhisattvas appeared. It was a sequential thing. In the beginning, it tells us that everybody was an arhat.
Humanistic Buddhism: Holding True to the Original Intents of Buddha-Chapter Two: The Humanistic Lifestyle of Buddha
The Buddha lived an extraordinary life. Growing up as the gifted Prince Siddhartha, he mastered the Five Sciences and Four Vedas at a young age. Life inside the palace meant he could have all he desired, including the power to reign over his kingdom. Despite this, he instead drew his attention to the forces of impermanence experienced in life and society such as the significant issues of suffering caused by birth, old age, sickness, and death; discrimination of the caste system; the oppression of power; wealth disparity; and the weak preyed upon by the strong. All these signs of inequality amongst living beings left him perturbed and perplexed.
Humanistic Buddhism: Holding True to the Original Intents of Buddha-Chapter Three: The Core Concepts of Humanistic Buddhism
When the Buddha taught, he constantly acknowledged the different aptitudes of his disciples and amended his approach. Yet, he always taught according to the same set of core concepts. For example, the teachings of suffering, emptiness, impermanence, and selflessness are commonly recognized as the earliest Buddhist teachings. In later periods, Buddhists were encouraged to practice the Six Paramitas, aspire for the Four Immeasurable States of Mind, and realize the Four Universal Vows.
Humanistic Buddhism: Holding True to the Original Intents of Buddha Foreword
“What is your faith?” A asks B. “Humanistic Buddhism.” Answers B. “If your faith is Buddhism, then it’s just Buddhism. Why add ‘Humanistic’?” Asks A again. “Because the founder of Buddhism, Sakyamuni Buddha, was not a god but simply a human being. The uniqueness of Buddhism is that it was founded by a human being, that is why it is called Humanistic Buddhism.”
Humanistic Buddhism: The Essence of Learning for Life in Guang Ming College
Giving importance to education and cognizant of the multifaceted talents of many Filipinos, Venerable Master Hsing Yun founded in June 2014 in the Philippines the fifth consortium school of Fo Guang Shan educational system, the Guang Ming College. Being the pioneer Humanistic Buddhist College in the Philippines, Guang Ming College is open to students of all faiths who are willing to learn and to mutually respect one another̕s customs, cultural traditions, and religious affiliations.
Localization Of Humanistic Buddhism In The West
In Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s diary summary for the latter half of January 1990, a period where he spent his time at Hsi Lai Temple in Los Angeles, we read a record highlighting two important steps in the localization of Humanistic Buddhism in the West: Starting from Hsi Lai Temple we are actualizing the first step of “The Dharma waters constantly flow throughout the five continents”, and the founding of the Buddha Light International Association will further enhance harmonious interaction and exchange between each nation worldwide. Finally, we are not letting down the Patriarch’s intention in coming from the West!(Hsing Yun 1994)
