Living Affinity [Paperback]

Xingyun (Author), Hsing Yun (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1590560582 | ISBN-13: 978-1590560587 | Publication Date: February 2004

Human beings are social; we cannot live apart from community. According to the Taiwanese Buddhist teacher Venerable Hsing Yun, when we understand that human society is nothing other than a web of human relationships we will understand just how crucial our relationships are.

In Living Affinity, Hsing Yun describes the foundations of that web—whether in community relationships, love and affection, the environment, wealth and the material world, time and space, and in terms of spiritual development. Through a close examination of the some of the key sutras and stories of Buddhist doctrine, Hsing Yun provides us with a wisdom rooted in the knowledge of centuries and yet vibrantly relevant to today.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Venerable Master Hsing Yun is the founder of Fo Guang Shan, an order of Buddhists dedicated to the promotion of "Humanistic Buddhism," which seeks to make Buddhism useful and relevant to today’s spiritual seekers, and has temples and institutions of learning all over the world, including Hsi Lai University in Los Angeles. Among Hsing Yun’s books are Humble Table, Wise Fare and Lotus in the Stream.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Lantern Books (February 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590560582
• ISBN-13: 978-1590560587
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 6.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,390,066 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.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Book Review by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, June 21, 2005

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This review is from: Living Affinity (Paperback)

Book Review by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality & Health Magazine Online
Living Affinity: Nurturing the Environment, Our Relationships and the Life of the Spirit
Hsing Yun
Lantern Books 02/04 Paperback $12.00
ISBN 1590560582

The Venerable Master Hsing Yun is the Taiwanese founder of Fo Guang Shan, an order dedicated to the promotion of Humanistic Buddhism. In this cogent work, he spins out teachings on the spiritual practice of affinity or what we in the West call interdependence. Thich Nhat Hanh means the same thing when he talks about inter-being.

Hsing Yun is convinced that our relationships with others and with the environment give us plenty of opportunities to bring affinity to life. In a chapter on community, he discusses the four great all-embracing virtues: giving, speaking with kind words, conducting oneself for the benefit of others, and adapting oneself to others. He gives plenty of concrete examples of the kindness that lies behind these virtues. Hsing Yun then examines friendship and love as avenues of affinity.

One of the best chapters is on the Buddhist tradition of protecting the environment. The author includes twelve guidelines for this practice:

"Speak quietly - do not disturb others.
Keep the ground clean - do not litter.
Keep the air clean - do not smoke or pollute.
Respect oneself and others - do not commit violent acts.
Be polite - do not intrude upon others.
Smile - do not face others with an angry expression.
Speak kindly - do not utter abusive words.
Follow the rules - do not seek exemptions or privileges.
Be mindful of your actions - do not act unethically.
Consume consciously - do not waste.
Be grounded - do not live aimlessly.
Practice kindness - do not create malice."

Throughout the book, Hsing Yun includes sayings from sages such as the following one by Wang Yangming, a famous Confucian scholar of the Ming Dynasty: "To catch the bandit in the hills is easy; to arrest the thief in ourselves is tough." There are also several memorable teaching stories on compassion and enlightenment.

Reviews and database copyright 1980-2005 by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat.