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Studies on Humanistic Buddhism I: Foundational Thoughts
Studies on Humanistic Buddhism I: Foundational Thoughts
Studies on Humanistic Buddhism III: Glocalization of Buddhism
Studies on Humanistic Buddhism III: Glocalization of Buddhism
Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s Perspective on Humanistic Buddhism’s Life Education
Venerable Master Hsing Yun is the most important practitioner promoting the development of the contemporary Humanistic Buddhism movement. After arriving in Taiwan, he devoted himself to various causes aimed at maintaining the Dharma in the human world. This has entailed extensive practical efforts for its realization, focused specifically on six aspects: 1. popularizing Buddhism 2. propagating Buddhism 3. Buddhist education 4. establishing culture 5. building Dharma centers and 6. charitable works.
The Localization of Buddhist Teachings within Glocalization
The purposes of promoting Buddhist culture and education are to guide sentient beings towards purifying their body and mind, and awakening their wisdom. By relying on cultural and educational means, it is possible to avoid conflicts between different religious faiths and allow non-Buddhists to accept Buddhist culture. In the course of accepting Buddhist culture, they will be able to gradually understand and eventually accept Buddhism. It is a kind of “skillful and expedient means” of the Dharma. Through culture and education, we can teach according to the learners’ aptitude, bring benefits and joy to all sentient beings and allow them to gain wisdom.
The Key to Promoting Localization is not to ‘Discard’ but to ‘Give’–My View on ‘De-sinicization'
In Taiwan, issues of provincial origin and ethnicity are often intentionally used to manipulate elections. During the March 2004 presidential election, ethnic sentiment was once again provoked to the extent that some people chanted slogans of “localization” and “de-sinicization.” This throws us into doubt. In this era of multiculturalism, when countries are making every effort to absorb other cultures, it is indeed perplexing—and even unfathomable—why some Taiwanese people are moving to “discard” a culture via “de-sinicization.”
Humanistic Religion From Guodian to Vimalakirti
This paper will argue that the term “Humanistic Buddhism,” which Venerable Master Hsing Yun describes as central to all of Buddhism, is also fundamental to Chinese religion as a collective group. Such an expansion is in keeping with the spirit of his recent publication 365 Days for Travelers: Wisdom from Chinese Literary and Buddhist Classics. Here we see an enlargement of humanism to include a general assessment of Chinese culture. It because of this expansion that this paper uses the term “Humanistic Religion” instead of “Humanistic Buddhism.” Crucial support for the centrality of humanism to Chinese religion comes from it being expressed with the greatest clarity and earliest date in the recently excavated Guodian corpus (郭店楚簡). As such, Guodian represents a missing link between Buddhism and other pre-Han religious systems. Venerable Master Hsing-yun sees Humanistic Buddhism as a system that has particular utility for overcoming divisions; as such it is interested in developing the linkages with indigenous Chinese religion that I will be detailing in this paper. Specifically, Humanistic Buddhism: Holding True to the Original Intents of Buddha, states that the schisms which arose after the passing of the Buddha can be overcome with humanism. In the publications by Fo Guang Shan I have reviewed so far, however, recently excavated manuscripts have not been considered and this will one of the contributions of this paper.
