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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.
The Key to Promoting Localization is not to ‘Discard’ but to ‘Give’–My View on ‘De-sinicization'
In Taiwan, issues of provincial origin and ethnicity are often intentionally used to manipulate elections. During the March 2004 presidential election, ethnic sentiment was once again provoked to the extent that some people chanted slogans of “localization” and “de-sinicization.” This throws us into doubt. In this era of multiculturalism, when countries are making every effort to absorb other cultures, it is indeed perplexing—and even unfathomable—why some Taiwanese people are moving to “discard” a culture via “de-sinicization.”
