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A Contemporary Artist’s Expressions of Buddhas & Pure Lands in the Human Realm
In Taiwan’s Socially Engaged Buddhist Groups, David Schak and Hsin-Huang Michael Hsiao (2005) highlighted a new religious phenomenon in Taiwan: the rise of socially engaged Buddhism, with Buddhist groups committed to working for the improvement of society and the well-being of the needy and the sick. The tremendous expansion of Buddhism in Taiwan, especially in the category of a local socially engaged type, is termed renjian fojiao (人間佛教 which translates directly as “terrestrial” i.e. “this-world” Buddhism), or expressed as “engaged” or “socially engaged.” Another frequently used phrase is rushi (入世 “entering” or “being in” the world), in contrast to chushi (出世 “leaving the world”)—mirroring a belief that the Pure Land is this earth, and their goal to purify it.
Remarks on Current Research on Taixu and the Pure Land in the Human Realm
One could translate the Chinese term commonly rendered “Humanistic Buddhism” more literally as “Buddhism in the Human Realm” (renjian fojiao 人間佛教). The term “human realm” (renjian 人間) has both an everyday meaning in modern Chinese and a more expansive technical Buddhist meaning. In everyday parlance, it means “the human world,” “humanity,” or “social relations,” and within a modern scientific world view, humanity exists in only one place—the planet Earth. Hence, English-language texts sometimes render the term “Humanistic Buddhism” as “Earthly Buddhism.” In traditional Chinese Buddhist texts, however, the term has a more specialized, technical meaning arising from premodern Buddhist cosmology. In this context, it indicates one in a list of five or six possible paths of rebirth. To be reborn in the human realm means that one’s past karma has led to rebirth as a human being, and in Buddhist cosmology, the Earth is not the only place where humans reside. The fact that the term renjian has different definitions in these two contexts has led to some confusion when scholars confront the terms “Humanistic Buddhism” and “The Pure Land in the Human Realm” (renjian jingtu 人間淨土). Variations in the way Buddhists and scholars understand the meaning and purpose of Humanistic Buddhism only compound the confusion.
Remarks on Current Research on Taixu and the Pure Land in the Human Realm
One could translate the Chinese term commonly rendered “Humanistic Buddhism” more literally as “Buddhism in the Human Realm” (renjian fojiao 人間佛教). The term “human realm” (renjian 人間) has both an everyday meaning in modern Chinese and a more expansive technical Buddhist meaning. In everyday parlance, it means “the human world,” “humanity,” or “social relations,” and within a modern scientific world view, humanity exists in only one place—the planet Earth. Hence, English-language texts sometimes render the term “Humanistic Buddhism” as “Earthly Buddhism.” In traditional Chinese Buddhist texts, however, the term has a more specialized, technical meaning arising from premodern Buddhist cosmology. In this context, it indicates one in a list of five or six possible paths of rebirth. To be reborn in the human realm means that one’s past karma has led to rebirth as a human being, and in Buddhist cosmology, the Earth is not the only place where humans reside. The fact that the term renjian has different definitions in these two contexts has led to some confusion when scholars confront the terms “Humanistic Buddhism” and “The Pure Land in the Human Realm” (renjian jingtu 人間淨土). Variations in the way Buddhists and scholars understand the meaning and purpose of Humanistic Buddhism only compound the confusion.
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.
太虛與人間淨土最新研究之評述
太虛大師因當時社會批評佛教反現代化、厭世、逃避現實、寄生於經濟而作出回應,那麼很可能會把他對於「人間淨土」的思想看作是對社會福利及社會正義改革的號召,而這種努力只會影響在地球上生活的我們。另一方面,如果人們用與太虛一樣的傳統佛教觀念和目標來閱讀他的著作,可能會發現人間也可以存在於宇宙的其他地方。如果太虛大師的觀點的確如此,就不能將他的「人生佛教」翻譯為「入世佛教」和「入世淨土」,也不能把他的目的理解為只是為了提倡社會改革而排除其他傳統的修行及目標。本文從太虛大師關於人間淨土的論述,探討其如何運用現代宇宙觀提倡社會改革,也盡力保留傳統人間的觀念,讓人道特質可以在佛教宇宙觀裡彰顯。我們將會看到他保留了多少關於現實、心、修行和輪迴的傳統佛教觀點。
佛寺楹聯 ─ 昆明圓通寺
佛寺楹聯 ─ 昆明圓通寺  Temple Couplets - Yuantong Temple, Kunming
六道輪迴
六道輪迴  Six Realms of Existence