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Venerable Master Hsing Yun and the Reinterpretation of the “Pure Land” within Humanistic Buddhism
This essay examines the teaching of Venerable Master Hsing Yun, one of the leading active proponents of Humanistic Buddhism. It begins by discussing the historical and contemporary status of Humanistic Buddhism, contextualizing it as a movement borne out of modernist influences and demands placed upon Buddhism to adapt and reform according to an everchanging social world. Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s notion of “the Pure Land,” a Buddhist concept he reinterprets as demanding the creation of an “earthly” Pure Land is examined. This interpretation, it is argued, is tied to pragmatic concerns regarding the necessity to reform Buddhist practices in order to successfully spread Buddhist teachings in the modern world. The essay draws parallels between the example of socially engaged practices of Christian missions at the turn of the century in China and the rationale underlying the drive to reform among nascent Humanistic Buddhists, such as in the teaching of Master TaiSxu. The example of Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s advocacy for creating an “earthly” Pure Land demonstrates how contemporary Humanistic Buddhist theory follows this logic and interprets traditional Buddhist teachings as advocating for socially engaged practices among both monastics and laypeople. To this end, Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s teaching regarding “life education” reinterprets spiritual development as practices designed to improve the external world rather than solely the individual’s internal world. This is demonstrated in Fo Guang Shan’s strategy of spreading Buddhism in mainland China through cultural education and activities rather than proselytization.
Human World Buddhism at Fo Guang Shan: Localising Anthropocentric Dharma
In this short essay, I look at “Humanistic Buddhism” as taught and practiced at Fo Guang Shan 佛光山 according to the vision of Venerable Master Hsing Yun 星雲 (born 1927). My first aim is to add some conceptual clarity around the misleading English term “Humanistic Buddhism,” and to propose alternative terms such as “Human World Buddhism” or “Anthropocentric Buddhism.” Secondly, I add some reflections about the tension between what I term “centripetal” (parochial, insider-oriented) and “centrifugal” (global/glocal, outreach-oriented) modes of engagement in the context of Fo Guang Shan. Finally, I look at the underlying ethos of dharmic “service” to the community in the context of “appropriate” or “skillful means.”
The Application of Filial Piety Based on the Filial Piety Sutra to Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Order
Studies on Humanistic Buddhism II: Practical Applications: Venerable Master Hsing Yun on Humanistic Buddhism
Studies on Humanistic Buddhism II: Practical Applications: Venerable Master Hsing Yun on Humanistic Buddhism
Managing the Mind: at the Heart of Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s Applied Management
Venerable Master Hsing Yun founded Fo Guang Shan and established the operational management guidelines for the monastery: collective effort, leadership by system, doing only what is in accord with Buddhism, and relying on nothing but the Dharma. He also clearly defined the organizational principles and functions of Buddha’s Light International Association (BLIA), so that both monastics and lay disciples have a set of regulations and procedures for the sustainable development of the Fo Guang community. The issues of financial control and the exercise of authority are inevitable in the operation of an organization. Venerable Master Hsing Yun also put forward his views on managing money, exercising authority, and handling human resources. In his opinion, the primary objective of managing human affairs is to manage the mind, which is no different from the practice of the Dharma. Furthermore, one must flexibly practice compassion and wisdom simultaneously, so that the entire organization achieves the ideal state of oneness and coexistence. Venerable Master Hsing Yun holds in high regard the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss as a realm where “all of the most virtuous people are gathered in a single place,” and looks up to Amitābha Buddha as the greatest management expert. He has infused a sense of sanctity into the secular concept of management, and also demonstrated a positive connection between worldly dharma and Buddha Dharma.
Three Dimensions of the Humanistic Spirit of Oxhead Chan as Expressed in the Treatise on the Transcendence of Cognition
Venerable Master Hsing Yun has often pointed out that traditional Chan Buddhism contains within it the rich and profound spirit of Humanistic Buddhism. Modern Humanistic Buddhism should also draw from the ideas of traditional Chan Buddhism. The humanistic principles contained within Oxhead Chan2 are worthy of our attention and application. This paper explores the spirit of Oxhead Chan through analyzes of various versions of the Treatise on the Transcendence of Cognition, an essential text of Oxhead Chan. Three main concepts will be analyzed: “emptiness is the basis of the way,” “there is nothing other than knowing the foundation of the original mind,” and “traveling no path is the way to enlightenment.”
Beyond The Stroke: The Dharma of One-Stroke Calligraphy
In his book, Travel Like the Clouds and Water , Venerable Master Hsing Yun, who is one of the main proponents of Humanistic Buddhism, instructs the viewers of his one-stroke calligraphy to look inside his heart and not just at the characters he uses in calligraphic writing. Considering that calligraphy is the highest form of East Asian art, anyone who is not familiar with its immense and complex body of theory and principles could find this simplistic instruction intimidating. How does one look beyond the cursive black lines and forms of an ink artwork that appears to be unskillfully brushed on white paper? Can the core concepts and guiding principles of Humanistic Buddhism help one realize the altruistic meaning of a monk’s contemporary calligraphy? More importantly, can Humanistic Buddhist art inspire the awakening of bodhi in the viewer?
Cultivating Social Historical Knowledge to Walk the Bodhisattva Path
In many regards, the future of Humanistic Buddhism can be considered in relation to its past. Developed as a response to social and political reforms in China during the transition from Qing dynastic rule to Republican governance, Humanistic Buddhism, as conceptualized by Master Taixu, proposed a reform of Chinese Buddhism that redirected its focus from ritual practices for the dead to emphasizing the human concerns of practitioners in this life. Thus, it prioritized an objective of engagement with human needs in a worldly context. While Humanistic Buddhism as expanded in Taiwan under the guidance of Venerable Master Hsing Yun maintains this focus on addressing human concerns, a reexamination of this historic foundation might prove fruitful in yielding new directions for the future growth of Humanistic Buddhism, especially in regards to its propagation throughout the world.
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 another's customs, cultural traditions, and religious affiliations.
Objectively Validating the Practice of Humanistic Buddhism
Venerable Master Hsing Yun once said that Humanistic Buddhism is the union of tradition and modernity; it fuses mountains and forests with society, temples with homes, monastics with lay practitioners, profound words with service and practice. Therefore, an important future direction for the practice of Humanistic Buddhism would be to embed the spirit and values of Buddhist traditions into all levels of society.
