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Human Condition: Earthly and Cosmic
When Mahāyāna Meets Theravāda: Humanistic Buddhism’s Challenges and Opportunities in Myanmar
From the early Buddhist era to the present day, antagonism between the Mahāyāna and Theravāda schools has existed, and will not be easy to resolve. In the past few decades, however, an increasing number of religious activities and cultural-exchange events have involved union between practitioners of Mahāyāna and Theravāda Buddhism, to the point that one can cautiously hail a breakthrough in cross-traditional understanding and communication. Against this backdrop, my paper has aimed to paint a broad-brush picture of Humanistic Buddhism’s challenges and potential opportunities in Myanmar, based on my latest fieldwork data as well as the relevant prior literature.
Ciguang Wuen and the Dawn of Shanjia/Shanwai Debate
The Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana and Tiantai Thought in the Sung Dynasty
Intertextual Relationships between Ming Period Dramas and Novels:Two Examples from the Han Xiangzi Narrative Complex
Causes and Consequences
“Welcome to a second series of monthly talks about Buddhism in terms of our lived experiences. It has been nearly a year since the first of these were given. Looking back, I realize that our world is still struggling with the pandemic and a number of troubling issues long after we hoped all would be under control. My concern in this talk is to present some of the Buddhist ideas of ‘cause’ in a fashion that gives relevance to the issues that are besetting us. Our world is dealing with debates that concern ‘disinformation.’ From left and right come claims and counterclaims. What do Buddhists have to say that can give us some guidance in such a situation? Can we determine what ‘cause’ is in terms of information available to us?”
Exploring the Meaning and Practice of Fo Guang Humanistic Living Chan through Hsing Yun’s Chan Stories
This paper discusses the meaning and practice of Fo Guang Humanistic Living Chan from two aspects: (1) Dharma can only be found in the world: the meaning of Humanistic Buddhism in Hsing Yun’s Chan Stories; and (2) Enlightenment cannot be attained away from the world: daily practice in Hsing Yun’s Chan Stories. Together, these two aspects detail the integration of Humanistic Buddhism into the everyday lives of Fo Guang members. Using Hsing Yun’s Chan Stories as the research subject, Humanistic Buddhism Chan meditation was popularized among Fo Guang members through television broadcasting in the early period (1987). The propagation of the Dharma through such a ubiquitous medium highlights Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s response to the audience’s needs. This approach allowed for exposure and the rapid uptake of Chan meditation in many households, culminating in the worldwide spread of Humanistic Buddhism. The humanistic aspect of Chan meditation can be discussed from the two aspects of “embracing sentient beings” and “self-awakening and liberating others.” Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s has exhorted practitioners of Chan Buddhism to embrace the suffering of sentient beings as the bodhisattva path. As for application in one’s daily life, this paper explores its two aspects of “diligently practice with discipline, and live with simplicity and gratitude” and “skillfully apply it in a lively, interesting and vigorous way.” The application of Humanistic Living Chan is primarily focused on living in accordance with the recepts, contentment, and limiting desires. The expedient ways that Chan masters can help us achieve breakthroughs, realize our true nature, and liberate other beings, underscores the power of Chan meditation.
The Dharma Gate of Non-Duality: Joy and Harmony
The following is an excerpt from Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s diary, which can be found in Chinese within the Complete Works of Venerable Master Hsing Yun. The title “Joy and Harmony” was the theme of the first general conference of the Buddha’s Light International Association (BLIA), which was held at Hsi Lai Temple in California. The “Gate of Non-Duality” refers specifically to the gate at the entrance to Fo Guang Shan Monastery in Taiwan, and more generally to the concept of awareness beyond dichotomies. A couplet above the entryway reads, “This gate is called ‘non-duality,’ duality or non-duality, both are one’s true face. This mountain is Vulture Peak, mountain or no mountain, nothing is not my pure body.” The diary entries provide an intimate look at Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s thoughts and activities over a period of two weeks. Seeing the amount of events he attended, and the number of guests he met, we get a sense of how a “humble monk” was able to create something as great as Fo Guang Shan. Among the mundane details he documented, there are also spiritual gems he left for us to discover. -Ed.
