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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
Studies on Humanistic Buddhism IV: Human Life
Studies on Humanistic Buddhism IV: Human Life
Humanistic Buddhism in Singapore
The term “Humanistic Buddhism” (人間佛教) brings to mind the thisworldly Buddhist teachings of Master Taixu (太虛, 1890–1947), Master Yinshun (印順, 1906–2005), and Venerable Master Hsing Yun (星雲, 1927–). Needless to say, transnational Taiwanese “mega-temples” such as Fo Guang Shan (佛光山) and Tzu Chi Foundation (慈濟功德會) have played a significant role in the propagation of Buddhism and promotion of cultural and philanthropic activities in global-city Singapore and around the world. Yet, unknown to many scholars (and Buddhists) perhaps, the early ideas of Humanistic Buddhism have arrived in Singapore even before these well-known global Taiwanese Buddhist organizations. In my talk, I will discuss the history of Singapore’s Humanistic Buddhism from the early twentieth century to the present. I will present the development of Humanistic Buddhism in Singapore into three phases: 1) Taixu’s Human Life Buddhism (人生佛教); 2) Yen Pei’s (演培, 1917–1996) Humanistic Buddhism; and 3) development of Taiwanese Humanistic Buddhist organizations in contemporary Singapore.
On the This-Worldly Emphasis of Humanistic Buddhism
In The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (1904), Weber discussed the rationalization of the development of Protestantism in elective affinity to modern capitalism, the first step in the analysis of the influence of religion on modern civilization. In Weber’s later years he wrote The Economic Ethics of the World’s Religions, which further examines the attitudes of different religions towards modern economic life, to highlight the character of “innerworldly mastery” of Protestantism.
The Debate in China on Humanistic Buddhism
How does religion relate to society? Are they in opposition or in harmony? This question became very important in modern times in China, and formed a line which divided religious traditionalists from religious reformers. We shall first examine the traditionalist stance of the Chinese thinker Liang Shuming (1893-1988), who upheld a clear separation between Buddhism and society, thereby preserving the function of religion as a vehicle of radical criticism. We shall also examine the agenda put forth by the Buddhist monk Taixu (1890- 1947), the most important Buddhist reformer of the first-half of the twentieth century in China. We shall then examine the debate which arose between Liang on one side, and Taixu, his disciple Yinshun (1906-2005) and the sangha on the other. Since Liang regarded Buddhism to be a religion of pure transcendence, he opposed using it to tackle social problems. Liang instead advocated Confucianism, as a form of upāya, which could more effectively lead towards the ultimate Buddhist goal of renouncing to the world.
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 B.C.E. 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”.
Chinese Interpretations of Indian Buddhism: From the Mahāprajñāpāramitā Upadeśa’s “Three Samādhis” to Zhiyi’s “Threefold Contemplation”
This study examines the early Mahāyāna commentary, the Upadeśa through the doctrinal and practical aspects of the three samādhis and how it has influenced the thoughts and practices of Zhiyi’s threefold contemplation. The approach on examining Zhiyi’s relation to the Upadeśa through our position in the historical and textual context of the Upadeśa and of Zhiyi has opened up to a strong implication and verification of their connection. In addition, our brief study on the citation of the Upadeśa in Zhiyi’s extant textual exegeses indicated his frequent usages of the commentary both in his early and later works.
Buddhism Meets Christianity—Two Points of Contact
D.T. Suzuki’s Relevance to the Modernization of Buddhism
McMahan considers the Japanese Zen scholar Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki (1870- 1970) to be an important figure in the modernization of Buddhism, who transcends boundaries of any particular religion, culture, and tradition. This paper revisits the significant role of D.T. Suzuki on the modernization of Buddhism through his teachings of illogical Zen, and evaluates the literature that supports and contradicts this claim.
