HUMANISTIC BUDDHISM

We know that the founder of Buddhism, Sakyamuni Buddha was born into this world he cultivated his spiritual development, attained enlightenment, and shared with others in this world the profound truth he had realised. The human world was emphasised in everything he did. Why did the Buddha not achieve Buddhahood in one of the other five realms?

Why did he not attain enlightenment in one of the other ten dharma worlds? Why did he, instead, attain complete enlightenment as a human? There can only be one reason the Buddha wanted the teachings of Buddhism to be relevant to the human world. The Buddha’s very life as a human being has given us all an inspiration and a model for the spiritual path and for making our own lives a spiritual practice.

Humanistic Buddhism promoted by the Fo Guang Shan International Buddhist Order can be seen in its objectives established by Master Hsing Yun: “Give others faith, give others joy, give others hope, give others convenience.” Fo Guang Shan aims to make Buddhism relevant in the world, in our lives, and in each one of our hearts.

CH'AN BUDDHISM

Ch'an is a Buddhist tradition, which originated in China. It was later transmitted to Japan where it became known as Zen, the name that Westerners are most familiar with. The goal of both Ch'an and Zen is the realization of one's true nature and the manifestation of that realization in our daily thoughts, words and actions. And what is one's true nature? It is nothing less than waking up and realizing we are Buddha by nature ¡The embodiment of wisdom and great compassion.

Our Order's founding Master, Teacher and the 48th Patriarch in the Lin-chi (Japanese Rinzai school) line of Ch'an says of Ch'an, " Ch'an is the abbreviated form of the Chinese transliteration of the Sanskrit tern dhyana it means quiet contemplation. But to describe Ch'an is not any easy task, for Ch'an is something that cannot be talked about nor expressed in written words. The moment language used we are no longer dealing with true spirit of Ch'an which is beyond all words, yet, Ch'an cannot be left unexpressed. Ch'an is life. When life is complemented by the flavor of Ch'an, the meaning of life will be grasped all the more clearly. As one poet says, " The moon outside the window is always the same, but it looks more brilliant when the plum flowers are in bloom."

Living in our bustling, intense, turbulent, and chaotic contemporary society, we need to find something that can set our impetuous minds at ease. Ch'an is undoubtedly such a force it can free us from anxiety and misgivings, as well as exert a calming effect on our minds and souls. Ch'an reflects wisdom, humor, and compassion. It can prevent the formation of wishful and vexing thoughts. Guided by the ease, humor, profundity, and liberating nature of Ch'an, one will not be bother by unkind words, awkward behavior, or painful memories of the past. They simply vanish like mist and smoke. Ch'an raises life to a level of art. It manifests the perfection of life by revealing the original nature that underlies all phenomena. (Ch'an) belongs to every family and to every human being. Everyone is in need of its wisdom, spontaneity, freedom, and ethics in his or her daily life."

PURE LAND BUDDHISM

Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Order and its Los Angeles branch temple, Hsi Lai Temple, practice the integration of Ch'an Buddhism (self-power) and Pure Land Buddhism (other-power), which, as one looks more deeply, one begins to understand and experience that self-power is other-power and other-power is self-power. This is so because Truth is divisibly one.

After the death of the historical Buddha, the teachings of the Buddha spread in two basic directions: southward and became known as the Theravada tradition, and eastward to China, Vietnam, Korea, Japan and became known as the Mahayana tradition. In East Asia, the Buddha's teachings developed into ten different schools or approaches to practicing the teachings. Several of these schools have remained important to this day: Ch'an (Zen), Tantric and Pure Land. Pure Land is by far the most widespread form of Buddhism in East Asia.

Through the development of Mahayana thought, there developed a more flexible spiritual tradition and practice that combined self-power with other-power it is called Pure Land Buddhism. The main practice of Pure Land Buddhism is reciting the name of Amitabha Buddha, cultivating one's single-minded vow, diligent practice and the development of a strong faith for the purpose of attaining rebirth in the Pure Land of Amitabha Buddha through the power of Amitabha's 48 great vows. However, as D.T. Suzuki has pointed out, the psychological effects of the repetition of Amitabha's name are close to the effects in Zen (Ch'an) meditation: calmness, deep concentration and wisdom.

The Western Pure Land, as it as also called, is a perfect training ground in which to attain Enlightenment and Buddhahood. One is no longer subject to retrogression because he or she has left the cycle of birth and death behind forever and can now freely, without obstruction, focus his or her efforts to attain Buddhahood. Amitabha Buddha exemplifies the Bodhisattva ideal within the Mahayana tradition.

(See Pure-Land Zen, Zen Pure-Land, Letters from Patriarch Yin Kuang, Translated by Master Thich Thien Tam, Forrest Smith, editor for further information.)

Strongly influenced by the reformist teaching of the Mainland Chinese monk, Venerable Tai Hsu, our teacher, Venerable Master Hsing Yun teaches that the Pure Land is a fundamental aspect of our minds and is our highest standard and our highest ideal. And how can we begin to establish the Pure Land in this world? Major changes don't happen overnight. However, as any community learns how to function with kindness, compassion and ungrudging support for its members, then that community can be said to have established a piece of the Pure Land in this world. Insofar as any family can establish respectful and harmonious relations among its members, that that family can be said to have planted the seeds of the Pure Land in this world. Insofar as any individual can base his or her thoughts and motives on selflessness, compassion and mutual benefit, then that individual has done his or her part to bring the Pure Land here to us on earth.

Venerable Master Hsing Yun teaches that the Pure Land will be built in this way, piece-by-piece, heart-by-heart, and home-by-home. We will not establish a Pure Land here if we place our hopes in some other world that can only be attained after death. In the deepest levels of reality, the Pure Land is not something separate from us. It is properly, part of our minds. How can we ever expect to establish it, then, if we do not establish it in our minds?

Our selflessness will lead our families toward harmony, our communities toward cooperation, and our nations toward compassion. In the end, the entire world will be bathed in the light of Buddha's wisdom and his illimitable concern.