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The Spread of Humanistic Buddhism
Today, we are discussing the spread of Humanistic Buddhism and I want to put it into the context of the history of how Buddhism has spread over the centuries. Buddhist sources of history recount the first spread of Buddhism outside of India to Sri Lanka during the lifetime of the founder, sometime in the 5th century BCE. By the 13th century of the Common Era, the religion could be found in a wide area of southeast Eurasia in what I have termed “The Great Circle of 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 another's customs, cultural traditions, and religious affiliations.
Humanistic Buddhism: Responding to Contemporary Developments
There are contemporary approaches to the use of Buddhist practices that can be said to be revolutionary in terms of how we study and evaluate the tradition. Since these practices are directed toward the public domain, they are one type of “Humanistic Buddhism.” A challenge for Buddhist groups is how to respond to these developments. A similar challenge exists for the academic study of Buddhism. How can we understand and deal with the contemporary world that has emerged?
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.
The Concept of Wealth in Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s Humanistic Buddhism
Venerable Master Hsing Yun has actively promoted the propagation and practice of Humanistic Buddhism. He believes that, “In the twentieth century, due to the awakening of Buddhists, Buddhism returned to its traditional fundamental teachings, and at the same time adapted itself through modernization. Therefore, the ‘Humanistic Buddhism’ of the twenty-first century was born to meet the needs of the time,” and that “what is known as Humanistic Buddhism needs to have humanity, altruism, joy, universality, timeliness, and an emphasis on daily life. It should be based on bodhicitta and traveling the bodhisattva path, always moving upward, forward, toward truth, wholesomeness, and toward the ultimate and perfection of the Buddhist way.”
How to Establish Humanistic Buddhism
To build a clear picture of Humanistic Buddhism, it would be best to start from a position that is based on the views of popular perception. Therefore, it is necessary to briefly explain the thoughts that are generally held in regard to Buddhism. Although more than two millennia have passed since Buddhism’s introduction into China, and traces of its existence can be seen in almost every corner of the poor and remote countryside, the truth about Buddhism is still hardly understood. As a result, the spirit and strength of Buddhism cannot be fully expressed.
Fundamental Tenets of Humanistic Buddhism
The Buddha was born in the human world, engaged in spiritual cultivation in the human world, and propagated the Dharma in the human world. He taught humans, not demons, hungry ghosts, or animals. Therefore, Buddhism is of the human realm. In addition to this, we often say that the Buddha was not a god; he was a human being and the Buddhism he founded is fundamentally Humanistic Buddhism. These days, some argue that Humanistic Buddhism is yours, his, or someone else’s. However, it is not. What the Buddha of the human world was practicing is Humanistic Buddhism.
My Understanding of Humanistic Buddhism
Humanistic Buddhism inspires us to elevate and have faith in ourselves; because this self embodies the wisdom and virtue of the Buddha. Thus we must realize that we are all buddhas and be proud to say that “I am a buddha.” Such is the spirit of Humanistic Buddhism. Instead of placing our fate in the hands of divine entities, we should take responsibility for our own lives. The saying in the Āgamas, “Rely on the self, rely on the Dharma, rely on nothing else,” is a rendition of the faith of Humanistic Buddhism.
Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s Humanistic Buddhism–New Dawn of True Dharma
The title “venerable master” as used by contemporary Chinese Buddhists appears to have been demeaned and misused, to the extent of sometimes being generally used in reference to male and female monastics. In fact, the word “master” has the Sanskrit root of “śāstṛ,” and is a rather highly esteemed title in Buddhism. As the Itivṛttakasūtra5explains, the title refers to sagely monastics who have attained at least the stage of stream-entere, and up to that of a buddha. Their presence in this world ensures that the wisdom of the Dharma can guide others towards transcending the mundane, bringing boundless benefit and joy to them.
The Historic Position of Humanistic Buddhism from the Viewpoint of the Process of Sinicization of Buddhism
Buddhism was founded by Śākyamuni Buddha, and is both a religion and a philosophy. As a religion, Buddhism has a unique belief system, organizational structure, and way of embodying belief through practice (including religious services). Compared to other religions, Buddhism has distinctive characteristics. With the exception of Buddhism, religions believe in an almighty god who is the center of their faith and doctrine. This god is the focus of their worship, and the purpose of their faith is salvation from sin. In contrast, Buddhism has an underlying doctrine and practice of “non-self.” This doctrine rejects the existence of any extrinsic god. It also denies the presence of an intrinsic soul. Therefore, the purpose of its belief is not to receive deliverance from sin, but rather to realize liberation from life’s pain and hardship.
