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A Theoretical Analysis on the Possibility of Attaining Buddhahood Using the Mental Cultivation Methods of Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s “I am Buddha” and Chan Master Huangbo’s “This Mind is Buddha”
Humanistic Buddhism teaches the concept of “I am Buddha.” Engaging the spiritual attitude of a Buddha, many kinds of Buddhist activities can be undertaken in our daily lives. Subjectively, this attitude strengthens one’s resolve. Objectively, it leads to one making significant contributions to society. The Chan approach to spiritual cultivation is “This mind is Buddha.” Being in the state of mind where no thoughts arise, and having the mind of a Buddha, is a manifestation of “I am Buddha.” If one attains the former state, then no matter when one achieves Buddhahood, in this life one will do the Buddha’s work. If one attains the latter state, then no matter when one achieves Buddhahood, one will always be in the state of Buddha-mind. The former is the embodiment of bodhicitta and the latter an embodiment of prajñā. Both modes complement the other and combine to create one of Humanistic Buddhism’s most popular teachings: “I am Buddha.” It is not of the first importance when practitioners of this method actually attain Buddhahood. With confidence, application, and the abandonment of wrong views, the practitioner is already on the path to becoming a Buddha.
Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s Concept of True Practice in the Context of the History of Chan Thought–A Discussion of Symbolic Implications of Early Chan Buddhism and the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra
This article examines Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s thought in the context of the history of the ideas of Chan Buddhism, which can be seen as a continuation of early Chan thought. Contextualizing the practices in the early stage of Chan, this article initially clarifies the influence of the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra in the early development of Mahāyāna Buddhism in China and the meaning of true practice. The Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra had a significant influence on early Chan masters, especially Bodhidharma. Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s concept of true practice is congruent with the tradition of the early Chan, but is at the same time innovative. His concept of true practice is examined by focusing on four main subjects: 1. the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra, 2. its relationship with the bodhisattva path, 3. the practice of Chan, and 4. its relationship with the threefold training.
Issues of Acculturation and Globalization Faced by the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Order
Ever since Buddhism began disseminating from India to other parts of the globe, it has had to find its way through a seemingly endless array of host cultures. As the world’s largest Buddhist order, Fo Guang Shan has successfully taken root in some 200 major cities across the five continents. How has Humanistic Buddhism as advocated by Fo Guang Shan’s founder Venerable Master Hsing Yun acculturated in a wide range of cultural locations across the world? This paper assesses the progress and acculturation of Fo Guang Shan, and discusses the factors of success and failures in terms of its acculturation strategies, changes in the approaches of Dharma propagation, and the acculturative stress experienced.
Historic Achievements of the Hsing Yun Model
At the core of religion is faith. Rebuilding faith is key to reversing the decline of traditional religion and to successfully realize modernization. True faith comes from the heart. In recent times, there have been two paths by which Chinese Buddhism has been rebuilding faith. The first method focuses on reconstructing Buddhist faith based on sūtras, i.e., on the authority of scripture. This has been adopted by the Faxiang school, among others.
The Brilliant Achievements of Humanistic Buddhism in Australia
Venerable Master Hsing Yun has confidence in, awareness of, and a great aspiration to improve Buddhist teachings, and has for many years promoted the international spread of Humanistic Buddhism. With the establishment of more than three hundred temples worldwide, he has performed the first steps toward realizing his great vow of having “the Buddha’s light shining universally on the three thousand realms and the Dharma stream flowing across all five continents.” Among these worldwide temples, the construction works in Australia and the teaching of Buddhism in that country have been outstanding, drawing much praise for its speedy execution and extensive influence.
Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s Aesthetics of Nature
There are three major aspects to Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s aesthetic of nature. One is the idea that heaven and earth are like literary works, which implies an aesthetic narrative of nature. Through the narrative of nature, humans can experience and reflect on the world. Venerable Master Hsing Yun advises that humans stay close to nature so as to broaden their minds and understand the art of learning. The beauty of the narrative of nature lies in the aesthetic of viewing objects in terms of objects, i.e., viewing them from an impersonal perspective. The second aspect is the idea that all sentient beings are equal. Venerable Master Hsing Yun is kind and compassionate to animals and advocates harmony between humans and the rest of the natural world. The third aspect is Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s view on the relationship between Chan and nature, i.e. there is a connection between Chan and the beauty of nature. His view on the aesthetics of nature is deeply influenced by Buddhist concepts such as the three Dharma seals, the theory of dependent origination, all phenomena are nothing but mind, a mind of equality, Chan thought, and Humanistic Buddhism.
Humanistic Buddhism as an Approach to Management
The Humanistic Buddhism advocated by Venerable Master Hsing Yun serves as an antidote to the negativity, escapism, and long-running flaws of traditional Buddhism. It allows Buddhism to embed its profound prajñā wisdom into the fabric of society, enabling it to approach society to improve mankind and perfect character through altruistic deeds. In terms of wealth, Humanistic Buddhism does not harbor a negative view of money. Rather, it advocates making good use of wealth to promote the welfare of humanity and propagate Buddhist undertakings to advance the purification of this world.
Transcending Borders: Using Regional and Ethnographic Studies to Envision the Future of Humanistic Buddhism
Buddhism and Hospice Care
Buddhism examines how to end the cycle of birth and death. When Siddhārtha Gautama renounced worldly life and sought enlightenment, his goal was to address the problem of life and death. In the Ming dynasty, Master Hanshan stated, “Since ancient times renunciation has been concerned with the issue of birth and death. The Buddha came into this world in order to teach all sentient beings about this. There is no other Dharma than that concerning birth and death; there is no birth or death other than what the Dharma teaches us.”
Perspective: The Teacher and Late Modern Buddhism in the West: Commitment and Dilemmas
The teacher plays a key role in Buddhism. In some traditions, the practitioner is advised to remain patient and persistent in the search for a lifelong teacher, as the right teacher is said to appear only once the practitioner is “ready.” The teacher may be the abbot in a monastery, the geshe in a gompa, or the roshi or ajahn in a temple. However, in this late-modern world, it is becoming increasingly common for Convert Buddhists to have no link or personal connection to any such organization or individual Dharma teacher.
