Search Results (13)

In the current era, when civilizations are in constant conflict and humankind is facing a series of serious existential crises, there is an urgent need for universal love to unite humankind. As models of world religions, Christianity and Buddhism provide rich intellectual resources for the construction of such universal love. Regarding Thomistic Christianity, its philosophy of friendship has gradually achieved a dual transformation from virtue-oriented to love-oriented, and from God-centered to human-centered. In the case of Mahayana Buddhism, its philosophy of friendship has evolved with the “Humanistic Buddhism” movement, increasingly demonstrating a compassionate spirit of saving the world. By comparing Thomistic Christianity with Mahayana Buddhism, we can see that although they exhibit different models of friendship, their main developmental trends are consistent. Both are committed to demonstrating a human-centered model of friendship, both emphasize the value of self-reduction in friendship, and both demonstrate the unique and irreplaceable role of religion in friendship. The goal of the philosophy of friendship is universal love and harmonious development of civilizations, while its future development depends on the joint efforts of contemporary religious scholars and philosophers. Full article

This paper explores the perspectives of Master Taixu (太虛, 1890–1947) and Master Hsing Yun (星雲, 1927–2023) on the practice of the Buddhist Five Vehicles (五乘), particularly focusing on the relationship between the Vehicles of Men and Gods (人天乘) and the Bodhisattva Vehicle (菩薩乘). Master Taixu advocated “Buddhism for Human Life” (人生佛教), emphasizing the improvement of real life as the foundation for Buddhist practice in daily life. He proposed the principle of “following the practice and fruition of the Human Vehicle to cultivate the Mahāyāna path” (依人乘行果，趣修大乘行), suggesting a gradual progression from the human vehicle to the Mahāyāna Bodhisattva path. He introduced the concept of “The perfection of human character leads to Buddhahood” (人圓佛即成) and “Present Bodhisattva Practice” (今菩薩行), highlighting the importance of adapting Buddhist practice to contemporary society and actively engaging in social service. Master Hsing Yun’s advocacy of “Humanistic Buddhism” (人間佛教) emphasizes the diversity of practice, asserting that any action aligned with Buddhist teachings, beneficial to human well-being, and conducive to the welfare of all beings constitutes a form of practice, thereby expanding its definition. He elaborated on the Five Vehicles, viewing the Vehicle of Men and Gods as a preliminary stage, advocating a gradual progression towards the Bodhisattva Vehicle, ultimately culminating in Buddhahood. He proposed the principle of “undertaking worldly affairs with an otherworldly mindset” (以出世的思想，做入世的事業), highlighting the importance of practicing the Bodhisattva path in everyday life. With “Buddha Light Pure Land” (佛光淨土) as the ultimate goal, he sought to integrate the essence of various Pure Lands traditions to achieve earthly peace and purification. Both masters highlight the importance of practicing Humanistic Buddhism, advocating for the application of the Bodhisattva practice in daily life, guiding all beings with compassion and wisdom, and actively engaging in society to address real-world issues, ultimately realizing a Humanistic Pure Land. However, their perspectives also differ: Master Taixu focused more on the theoretical construction and an exposition on the order of practice, whereas Master Hsing Yun placed greater emphasis on the diversity and flexibility of practice and the integration of Buddhist teachings into modern life. Full article

The issue of transcendence is a pivotal philosophical proposition in the contemporary development of Humanistic Buddhism, continuously provoking academic debates within the fields of religious studies and Buddhist scholarship. In response to the controversy over whether Humanistic Buddhism possesses transcendence, Master Hsing Yun (星雲大師) addresses this question through three theoretical dimensions: constructing spiritual transcendence at the level of faith, achieving inner transcendence at the level of consciousness, and realizing a creative transcendence that integrates tradition and modernity within a historical context. Through the tripartite interaction of the Buddhist practice system, worldly engagement, and the philosophy of the Middle Way (中道), individuals can transcend their own lives and attain the perfection of their inherent Buddha-nature, ultimately achieving a unity of humanity and transcendence. Full article

The two modern concepts, “Engaged Buddhism” and renjian fojiao 人間佛教, with the variety of its English translations (such as “Humanistic Buddhism”), were developed and discussed with and without reference to each other over several decades. This article raises the question of how “Engaged Buddhism” has been portrayed in the Chinese-speaking world. It therefore reflects on a hybrid conceptual history and distinguishes between “concept-unaffected” and “concept-affected” (“concept-affirming”, “concept-negating”, and “concept-corresponding”) positionings in the Buddhist world, as well as a “concept-distancing” and “concept-processing” scholarship of Buddhist studies. The concept of “Engaged Buddhism” has been rendered with various Chinese terms in mainland China and Taiwan, e.g., “rushi fojiao” 入世佛教 (Buddhism that Enters the World), “canyu fojiao” 參與佛教 (Participatory Buddhism), and “zuoyi fojiao” 左翼佛教 (Left-Wing Buddhism). As can be seen from a rich body of sources, its discussion among Chinese-speaking Buddhists and scholars increased over the past twenty years and has been strongly characterized by comparisons with “renjian fojiao”, which can lead to different currents, such as exclusivism, inclusivism, and pragmatism. Full article

This study aims to relate the emerging field of community psychology with the philosophical thoughts of Wonhyo, a prominent figure in Korean Buddhism, from the aspect of their common orientation, to explore the development of both Buddhist philosophy and psychological research. The integration of modern psychology and Buddhist theory has only recently begun. In community psychology, there is a continuous need for the complementation of theory and case studies, and within Buddhism, there is a need to academically and popularly expand the advantages of Buddhist teachings. Furthermore, this research is believed to significantly contribute to the theory and practice of community problem-solving, which modern society demands. The characteristics of community psychology that differ from previous psychological research are twofold. First, it conducts a balanced examination of individuals and structures, moving away from the individual-centric focus of traditional psychology. Second, it emphasizes practice beyond theory, diverging from the theory-heavy focus of prior studies. Wonhyo’s philosophy is particularly well-suited to these characteristics. In the discussion, the theoretical contributions of Buddhism to community psychology are examined, based on Wonhyo’s philosophy, with a focus on the two main features mentioned above. This includes discussions on Buddhist introspection and the pursuit of enlightenment, grounded in a Mahāyāna perspective of the interdependent nature of the One Dharma world and the Bodhisattva path. The study further explores Wonhyo’s philosophy and practical examples pertinent to community psychology. Specifically, this examination focuses on the community’s psychological characteristics and practical examples demonstrated in Wonhyo’s concepts of ‘One Mind’, ‘Harmonizing Disputes (Hwajaeng)’, and ‘Non-hindrance’, categorizing them into individual and community aspects. Through this research, it is confirmed that the personal cultivation and community contributions of Buddhism are vividly present in Wonhyo’s theory and deeds. Particularly, Wonhyo’s philosophy and actions, embodying the benefits of humanistic and relational Buddhism, are expected to contribute significantly to the problem-solving of modern society and the academic advancement in community psychology. Full article

Humanistic Buddhism is one of the mainstreams of modern Buddhism, with special emphasis on the humanistic dimension. With the development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, Humanistic Buddhism is also at an important stage of modernization and transformation, thus facing a continuous negotiation between religious values and technological innovations. This paper first argues that AI is technically beneficial to the propagation of Buddhism by citing several cases in which AI technology has been used in Buddhism. Then, by comparing Master Hsing Yun’s Buddhist ethics to “Posthuman” ethics, it points out that the theories of Humanistic Buddhism share similarities with AI and Posthuman ethics. Among them, Master Hsing Yun’s theory of “the nature of insentient beings” provides an important theoretical reference for the question of “whether AI can become a Buddha”. From the technical and ethical dimensions, it points out that the interaction between Humanistic Buddhism and AI can promote original uses or implementations of AI technology. However, it should also be noted that compared to the cases of “Artificial Narrow Intelligence”discussed in the paper, the “Strong AI” could lead to much more ethical crises. It is also likely to cause the cult of science and technology, and thus subvert the humanistic tradition of Buddhism with a new instrumental rationality. In addition, there are some potential pitfalls that Humanistic Buddhism may encounter when using AI. Hence, while it is necessary to encourage the use of technologies such as AI in contemporary Buddhism, it is also important for Buddhism to keep a critical distance from digital technologies. Full article

In the early 1990s, two of Taiwan’s humanistic Buddhist groups—Buddhist Tzu Chi Compassionate Relief Foundation (Tzu Chi) and Dharma Drum Mountain (DDM)—began incorporating modern environmentalism as a major component in their religious teachings, practices, and behavioral norms. Neither group had been clearly pro-environmental before the 1990s, but Venerable Cheng Yen, the founding master of Tzu Chi, and Venerable Sheng Yen, the founding master of DDM, redefined and expanded Buddhist teachings and practices to include modern concepts and practices of environmental sustainability as central components of their dharmas. This comparative ethnographic study contributes to scholarship with findings regarding how and why the two groups developed and disseminated pro-environmental dharma: (1) both groups began promoting environmentalism as a moral, religious response to Taiwan’s waste management crisis of the early 1990s; (2) both groups tied their pro-environmental teachings to two of the most popular elements of Buddhist dharma among Chinese humanistic Buddhists—the bodhisattva path and pure land teachings; (3) both groups fully integrated environmental teachings, practices, and behavioral norms into all aspects of their organizations; and (4) both groups adjusted the framing of their pro-environmental messages to match specific audiences in their work in order to promote environmentalism in Taiwan’s society. Full article

The development of Chinese cemetery hills in Singapore reflects the changing dominance of the dialect groups between the 19th and 20th centuries. Heng San Ting 恒山亭 is the earliest cemetery hill of the Hokkien dialect group, and newly excavated burials indicate that early Singaporean Hokkien came not only from Zhangzhou 漳州 and Quanzhou 泉州 in southern Fujian 福建, but also from places such as Yongchun 永春 from the interior of Fujian. Apart from the Hokkien dialect group, the Cantonese 广东, Hakka 客家, Teochew 潮州 and Hainan 海南 communities also established their cemetery hills. In the early 19th century, the Chinese communities were divided into different dialect groups to form their representative cemetery hills, but the smaller communities within the dialect groups started to form and develop their own cemeteries due to increasing economic power from the mid to late 19th century. Scholars generally believe that the other four dialect groups, led by the Cantonese and Hakka dialect groups, formed a “United Front 联合阵线” to confront the Hokkien dialect group. However, this paper looks at the smaller communities under the five dialect groups and discovers that these communities developed and maintained their own cemetery hills and communicated with the smaller communities from different dialect groups. It was not a direct confrontation. In the 20th century, although the government introduced a series of policies to restrict the development of Chinese burial mounds, the different communities retained their autonomy under the government’s policies. From the development and changes of the Chinese dialect group cemeteries in Singapore, we see that the Chinese community still retains its own autonomy despite the rapid changes of society and the change of times. Full article

This study examines the temple networks of the 19th-century Chinese community leader See Boon Tiong （薛文仲） in Singapore and Malacca in order to cognize his rising influence in both places. In the early years of his career in Singapore, See Boon Tiong expanded his social networks by founding the Keng Teck Whay （庆德会）, as well as through his active involvement in the affairs of Chinese temples. In 1848, the Keng Teck Whay, represented by See Boon Tiong, precipitated the establishment of the Cheng Wah Keong Temple （清华宫） in Malacca and the organization of the “Wangchuan” （王船） Ceremony, thereby consolidating See’s leadership in the local Chinese community. This also provides insights into the process of the reconstitution of power by the Malaccan Chinese merchants in their hometown after forging social networks in Singapore. In the 1850s, See’s influence, exerted through these networks, further penetrated Cheng Hoon Teng Temple （青云亭）in Malacca, outstripping the authority and influence of Tengzhu （亭主） Tan Kim Seng （陈金声）, and engendered the dominance of the Hokkien Zhangzhou （漳州） group to which he belonged. The biography of See Boon Tiong is a microcosm of the strategies which ethnic Chinese leaders in Southeast Asia in the 19th Century deployed to amalgamate and cement their power and influence in society. This also exemplifies the interplay and inseparability between the leadership of the Chinese communities in Singapore and Malacca, and highlights the influential role and agency of these power networks behind the temples in transforming the power structure of the Chinese community in that era. Full article

This paper attempts to examine the formation path of the United Temple. Since research on the United Temple has focused more on its organization and religious practice in contemporary Singapore, the paper looks at the sub-temples under the Singapore United Temple, analyzing their paths toward unification from a more extended historical perspective. The authors divide sub-temples into three categories: ancestral temples (血缘庙), geographic temples (地缘庙), and deity-related temples (神缘庙) and compare their flexible strategies. This paper tries to explain how the formation of the United Temples was influenced by multiple spatial, social, and cultural factors. The blood lineage, religion, and regional ties from the homeland could still be essential when the localized, community-based social links beyond the boundaries play an equally crucial integrative role in forming United Temples. It is the contention of the authors of this paper to study the United Temple—the unique religious space in Singapore—as the potential syncretic field of the present and the past. Full article

Mahayana Buddhism is well known for being successfully implanted in various cultures. Chinese Buddhism, considered one of the three great religions of China along with Confucianism and Taoism, is a classic example. From China, Buddhism traveled further and, in the twentieth century, developed a particular way of engaging the world. Humanistic Buddhism, a particular form of engaged Buddhism that grew out of twentieth-century Chinese Buddhism, has been present in the Philippines since the 1990s and signaled a new phase in the growth of Buddhism in the country. In particular, the Philippine initiators of Foguangshan and Ciji did not limit themselves to the ethnic Chinese community from the outset, and both movements have achieved modest success in the last thirty years. By building on previous research with new inputs from key informants, this article explores the emerging localization of Foguangshan and Ciji in the predominantly Catholic Philippines, identifying the particular ways in which the two groups adapted their missions in the country. Full article

This article examines the life and times of Lee Choon Seng (李俊承), exploring his role as a prominent lay Buddhist leader in Singapore and the broader Chinese Buddhist world. Lee Choon Seng’s influence in society, as well as his adherence to Chinese Mahayana Buddhism, laid an important foundation for him to carry out philanthropic activities within the Buddhist community in Singapore. Before World War II, Lee Choon Seng acted as a patron of the Dharma, sponsoring Buddhist activities and advocating for the idea of revitalizing China in the spirit of Buddhism. During the Japanese Occupation, Lee Choon Seng initiated and led the Buddhist philanthropy movement, which converged into a huge developmental trend in society. In the postwar period, Lee Choon Seng established and served as the inaugural chairman of the Singapore Buddhist Federation, making him a key figure in unifying the Buddhist community in Singapore. As this article demonstrates, Lee Choon Seng’s socio-religious model, which was comprised of a combination of Mahayana Buddhism with social charity and welfare, was an important factor for the promotion of Buddhism among the Chinese community in Singapore. Full article

This article is about the way that the notion of religion is understood and used in election manifestos of populist and nationalist right-wing political parties in Germany and the Netherlands between 2002 and 2021. In order to pursue such enquiry, a discourse on the nature of manifestos of political parties in general and election manifestos specifically is required. Election manifestos are important socio-scientific and historical sources. The central question that this article poses is how the notion of religion is included in the election manifestos of three Dutch (LPF, PVV, and FvD) and one German (AfD) populist and nationalist parties, and what this inclusion reveals about the connection between religion and populist parties. Religious keywords in the election manifestos of said political parties are researched and discussed. It leads to the conclusion that the notion of religion is not central to these political parties, unless it is framed as a stand against Islam. Therefore, these parties defend the Jewish-Christian-humanistic nature of the country encompassing the separation of ‘church’ or faith community and state, the care for the historical and cultural heritage of church buildings, and the subordination of the freedom of religion to the freedom of expression. The election manifestos also reveal that Buddhism and Hinduism are absent in the discourses of these political parties. Full article