Humanistic Buddhism: A Blueprint for Life - Tapa blanda

The rationale for Humanistic Buddhism derives directly from the Buddha, “because the Buddha was born, cultivated the path, became enlightened, and strived to enlighten others in this world.” It is with this understanding that Venerable Master Hsing Yun proceeds to elaborate on the many ways in which the Buddha’s teachings can guide us through challenges in life. In doing so, he affirms the basic spirit of Humanistic Buddhism that centers on the conviction that the Dharma is of crucial pertinence to humanity.Humanistic Buddhism is a book that not only embodies this spirit, but also discusses how it can be infused in life. As a “blueprint” of sorts for conduct and ethics, it is a handy manual for guiding us, as well as a lucid exposition of some of the main tenets in Buddhism.Through illuminating examples and references to Buddhist teachings, Venerable Master Hsing Yun provides insights into many facets of the human condition. He shows how emotions, ethics, family, society, government, and the environment are all areas for contemplation and cultivation. In short, what Humanistic Buddhism reminds us of is that Buddhism is part of life, not separate from it.

Founder of the Fo Guang Shan (Buddha’s Light Mountain) Buddhist Order and the Buddha’s Light International Association, Venerable Master Hsing Yun has dedicated his life to teaching Humanistic Buddhism, which seeks to realize spiritual cultivation in everyday living.Master Hsing Yun is the 48th Patriarch of the Linji Chan School. Born in Jiangsu Province, China in 1927, he was tonsured under Venerable Master Zhikai at the age of twelve and became a novice monk at Qixia Vinaya College. He was fully ordained in 1941 following years of strict monastic training. When he left Jiaoshan Buddhist College at the age of twenty, he had studied for almost ten years in a monastery.Due to the civil war in China, Master Hsing Yun moved to Taiwan in 1949 where he undertook the revitalization of Chinese Mahayana Buddhism. He began fulfilling his vow to promote the Dharma by starting chanting groups, student and youth groups, and other civic-minded organizations with Leiyin Temple in Ilan as his base. Since the founding of Fo Guang Shan monastery in Kaohsiung in 1967, more than two hundred temples have been established worldwide. Hsi Lai Temple, the symbolic torch of the Dharma spreading to the West, was built in 1988 near Los Angeles.Master Hsing Yun has been guiding Buddhism on a course of modernization by integrating Buddhist values into education, cultural activities, charity, and religious practices. To achieve these ends, he travels all over the world, giving lectures and actively engaging in religious dialogue. The Fo Guang Shan organization also oversees sixteen Buddhist colleges and four universities, one of which is the University of the West in Rosemead, California.Over the past fifty years, Master Hsing Yun has written many books teaching Humanistic Buddhism and defining its practice. Whether providing insight into Buddhist sutras, human nature, or inter-religious exchange, he stresses the need for respect, compassion, and tolerance among all beings in order to alleviate suffering in this world. His works have been translated into English, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Sinhalese, and Thai.