Contemporary Thoughts on Humanistic Buddhism [Paperback]

Venerable Master Hsing Yun (Author), Master Hsing Yun (Author), Hsing Yun (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 18, 2001

Contemporary Thoughts on Humanistic Buddhism is a collection of speeches delivered by Master Hsing Yun over the past ten years to attendees of the annual Buddha's Light International Association (BLIA) General Conference. The theme of each speech, which is transformed into individual chapters within this book, captures the spirit of Humanistic Buddhism. It tells readers precisely when and where to seek the unlimited joy and potential of our being and discover Buddhahood right here in this life, in this world.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Venerable Master Hsing Yun is founder of the Fo Guang Shan (Buddha's Light Mountain) Buddhist order and the Buddha's Light International Association. He has spent 50 years teaching Humanistic Buddhism, which he defines and delineates in this paperback. His goal has been to enable people to realize spiritual practice in everyday living by integrating Buddhist values into education, cultural activities, charity, and religious rituals.

The book is divided into chapters that present a blueprint for life: On Ethics (the Way of Home Life); On Morality (the Way of Cultivation); On Livelihood (the Way of Using Resources); On Emotions (the Way of Love and Affection); On Society (the Way of Oneself and Others); On Loyalty & Filial Piety (the Way of Establishing Oneself); On Wealth (the Way of Financial Management); On Long Life & Happiness (the Way of Ownership); On Maintaining Good Health (the Way of Medicine); On Loving-Kindness & Compassion (the Way of Affinity); On Cause & Effect (the Way of Dependent Origination); On Religion (the Way of Faith); On Life (the Way of Birth and Death); On Knowledge (the Way of Study); On Education & Amusement (the Way of Correct Life); On Funerals & Celebrations (the Way of Right Views); On Nature (the Way of Environmental Protection); On Government (the Way of Participating in Politics); On International Affairs (the Way of Tolerance); On the Future (the Way of Development).

Throughout this blueprint, Master Hsing Yun always returns to his emphasis upon ethics and practicing the virtues. For instance, he states that Buddhism does not reject feelings, 'it advocates that feelings be imbued with compassion, purified by reason, circumscribed by etiquette, and guided by wisdom.' He ponders the meaning of money and then salutes various kinds of spiritual wealth. We especially were drawn to a meditation on infinite life that we contribute to with faith, morality, wisdom, and merit. This seasoned spiritual teacher provides much food for thought. --A Review by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Master Hsing Yun is the 48th Patriarch of the Linzi Chan School, and also founder of one of the world's largest Buddhist order, the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Order based in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Dedicated to bringing Humanistic Buddhism to mainstream society throughout the world, Master Hsing Yun has written numerous inspiring books on the topic. Many of his works have also been translated into a number of languages such as English, Spanish, Portuguese, German, French, Korean, and Japanese.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 142 pages
• Publisher: Hsi Lai University Press (April 18, 2001)
• ISBN-10: 192919207X
• ISBN-13: 978-1929192076
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,181,582 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Venerable Master Hsing Yun is a Chinese Buddhist monk, author, philanthropist, and founder of the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Order, which has branches throughout Asia, Europe, Africa, Australia, and the Americas. Ordained at the age of twelve in Jiangsu Province, China, Master Hsing Yun has spent his over seventy years as a Buddhist monk building what he calls Humanistic Buddhism: Buddhism that meets the needs of people and is integrated into all aspects of life.

In 1949, Master Hsing Yun came to Taiwan and began to nurture the new burgeoning Buddhist culture in Taiwan. He served as an editor and contributor to many Buddhist magazines and periodicals, authoring the daily columns "Between Ignorance and Enlightenment," "Dharma Words," and "Hsing Yun's Chan Talk," as well as starting his own Buddhist magazine, "Awakening the World," in 1957, and the first daily Buddhist newspaper, the "Merit Times," in 2000. Master Hsing Yun authored many important works including the "Song of Silence," the "Biography of Sakyamuni Buddha," and "National Master Yulin." Master Hsing Yun also edited and sponsored the Fo Guang Encyclopedia, the most authoritative Buddhist reference work in the Chinese language. His contributions have reached as far as sponsoring Buddhist music and art, to creating Buddhist programming for television, radio, and the stage.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Review by ForeWordreviews.com, December 4, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Humanistic Buddhism: A Blueprint for Life (Paperback)

One of the striking things about Humanistic Buddhism is how similar its tenets are to Western religious teachings. As one reads about the sanctity and importance of "filial obedience" to one's parents or that "lusting after beautiful women and raping them" is the wrong approach to love, these notes of familiarity turn acute: The morality of East and West have more in common than we knew.

This, however, raises a serious question: What can Humanistic Buddhism offer the reader that, say, a reading of the Bible or a study of the Koran cannot? The book's subtitle, after all, is "A Blueprint for Life," which suggests that within its twenty chapters are contained step-by-step methodologies for living in our fractured, fear-fraught world. Here the book's accomplishments are uneven. One positive instance can be found in a chapter on good health; citations of the Visuddhimagga's eight reasons for why we fall ill or the six reasons mentioned in the Mohe Zhiguan are the kinds of philosophical statements unavailable in other religious texts.

At the same time, if one is new to Buddhism, citing such texts -- and there are lots of them discussed -- can be a frustrating experience. Indeed, citing this or that Sutra means very little if one does not possess a strong, basic working knowledge of Buddhism, and the more we read and get a taste of the philosophy, the more frustrated we become without a foundation of information to guide us. For this reason, it should be made clear that this is not a primer, despite the impression given by a smart subtitle. This book is more a smart and savvy secondary course guide for the already engaged.

Taken on these terms, the book is exceptionally thorough, and seventy pages of footnotes (plus a long glossary) affirm the book's scholarship.

Finally, two chapters particularly stand out. "On Cause and Effect: The Way of Depending Origination" is a spectacular exploration of the karmic notion -- how actions and reactions have less a positive or negative quality than an interlocking, inevitable one. And "On Life: The Way of Birth and Death" not only demystifies the cycle of existence, but does so by avoiding the use of too many technical terms, opting instead for meaningful metaphors and, perhaps best of all, plainspoken language.

Leonard Jacobs

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