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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 Value of the Buddhism Practiced by Fo Guang Shan
Buddhism has a long history with a vast body of texts and many schools of thought. Throughout its history, Buddhism has blended with cultures and ethnic groups of different regions, creating a Buddhist landscape where different schools of thought have blossomed. Especially in a modern society, there is a mixture of good and bad in this process. The ascetic style of Da Bei Monastery in Haicheng, the noisy style of Shaolin Monastery on Mount Song, the majestic style of Lingshan Temple in Wuxi, and of course Taiwan’s Chung Tai Temple style and Tzu Chi style are just a few of the many “blooms” that are accumulating in the “social image” and “social perception” of Buddhism.
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.”
Fo Guang Shan’s ‘Localization of Buddhism’ within the Internationalization of Buddhism
Localization is the primary reason that Buddhism flourished in China. Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s emphasis on adapting Buddhism to local cultural practices is crucial to Fo Guang Shan’s success in spreading the Dharma overseas. This paper discusses the process of localizing Buddhism in the West, focusing on the philosophy and methodology of localization, as well as the ways in which Fo Guang Shan has successfully localized in Western countries.
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.
Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s Ten Great Contributions to Buddhism
Since the nineteenth century, Humanistic Buddhism has been the most powerful school of thought in Chinese Buddhism. I recently proposed that while Taixu was distinguished as an advocate of modern Humanistic Buddhism, Venerable Master Hsing Yun, as the founder of modern Humanistic Buddhism, has been an exceptional proponent. Venerable Master Hsing Yun proposed using the concept of the “three greatnesses” from the Treatise on the Awakening of Faith in the Mahāyāna as the basic principle of the Humanistic Buddhism: greatness of essence, greatness of attributes, and greatness of function. He profoundly influenced the essence, the attributes, and the function of Humanistic Buddhism.
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.
