Buddhist charity and the idea of "Human Buddhism"
(1)What is "Human Buddhism" Thought Today's Buddhism promotes "Human Buddhism" advocated by Master Taixu throughout his life ②Thoughts, use the idea of "Human Buddhism" to improve society and enable mankind to progress and develop to good.Let the world understand Buddhism and believe in Buddhism through the idea of "Human Buddhism", practice saving the world and people, and regulate human morality and order, so as to make the country happy and the nation prosperous and strong.As early as December 1983, Mr. Park also advocated the idea of "Human Buddhism" in his article "Thirty Years of the Chinese Buddhist Association". He said: "I think we should advocate the idea of human Buddhism in the doctrine we believe in. Its basic content includes the five precepts, the ten virtues, the four precepts, the six paramitas, and other great wishes that benefit others.The Sutra of the Agama Sutra says that "all Buddhas and World-Honored Ones come out of the world", revealing the fundamental spirit of the Buddha's attention to the world.The "Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch" says that "Buddhism is in the world, and it is not separated from the world's awakening. It is just like seeking the horn of a rabbit."The Buddha was born in the world and preached and saved people.Buddhism originates from and benefits the world.We should promote the Buddhist thought of the world, that is, to follow the Five Precepts and Ten Virtues, to purify ourselves, to practice the Four Conquer and Six Paramitas, and to benefit the people, we will consciously take the realization of the Pure Land of the World as our mission and contribute our own light and heat to the noble cause of socialist modernization, which is the solemn land of socialist modernization and the lofty cause of benefiting sentient beings.” ①To sum up Mr. Park’s understanding of “Human Buddhism” is to contribute his own light and heat, solemn his country and benefit the people!To put it more concisely, "Do not do evil and do good", which is also the purpose of starting a Buddhist charity!
(2)Overview of the spread of human Buddhism in today's current Chinese Buddhist community has taken the great idea of "human Buddhism" as the dominant idea.In late September 2002, the Chinese Buddhist Association held the Seventh Buddhist Congress in Beijing. In the report "Inheriting President Zhao Puchu's last wishes and working together to create a new situation in China's Buddhist cause", President Issein called on the Buddhist community to actively practice the idea of "Human Buddhism", and to educate and cultivate talents, diligently practice the three studies, and dedicate to the society as important contents in practicing the concept of "Human Buddhism". In the newly revised Buddhist Association Charter, the idea of advocating "Human Buddhism" is clearly written into the general principle.In September 2003, Master Shenghui, Executive Vice President of the Chinese Buddhist Association, proposed in the report of "Fifty Years of the Chinese Buddhist Association", proposed that the basic task of the Chinese Buddhist Association in the new stage is to hold high the glorious banner of patriotism, love for religion, unity and progress, take the path that is compatible with socialism, and promote the idea of "Buddhism on earth".From the speeches of Master Issein and Master Shenghui, we can summarize the idea of "Human Buddhism" into two points.The first point: Use Buddhism to purify people's hearts.Combining the environment of modern society and the ideological situation of the people, we explain the moral thoughts contained in the Five Precepts, Ten Virtues, Four Visions, Six Paramitas, Compassion, Joy and Give Up, etc. in Buddhism, not only purify ourselves, but also guide believers through preaching, publications and media, and a variety of formal guidance for sentient beings that are popular with all beings, and promote the construction of social spiritual civilization and morality.The second point: repay society with Buddhist charity.By supporting the people in the disaster-stricken areas, donating to Hope Projects, starting or improving various types of Buddhist charity, helping the poor and disabled, and committed to natural environmental protection and protecting animals, we will work hard to build a pure land on earth.Promoting the idea of "Human Buddhism" and advocating Buddhist charity are also practicing the fundamental spirit of "compassion and saving the world" in the Mahayana Bodhisattva Path.Promoting "Human Buddhism" can also completely get rid of the decline of the Buddhist community who was seriously divorced from real life since the late Qing Dynasty and was addicted to "dead Buddhism" and "ghost Buddhism".Through Buddhist charity, we inherit and carry forward the human Dharma that is close to life and caring for life, implement the spirit of "people-oriented", spread the Dharma in real society, benefit all living beings in real society, and contribute to benefiting society and serving the people.
Here are some temples that realize the idea of "Human Buddhism" through Buddhist charity:
In line with the purpose of "Human Buddhism" of "helping the world and benefiting the people, compassion, joy and giving", Wuxi Xiangfu Zen Temple has made great contributions to donating funds to support students, helping the poor, and helping the doctor and disaster relief in just four years from the beginning of this century to 2005. With a total of more than 10 million yuan in various donations, they responded to the call of the country to build the western region and implement the Hope Project plan, and invested a large amount of funds in Tibet, Qinghai and Xinjiang regions as a way to help students.In 2000, Xiangfu Zen Temple donated 600,000 yuan to build a Xirao Jiacuo teaching building in Qinghai;In 2001, Xiangfu Chan Temple donated 300,000 yuan to build the teaching building of Guliu Middle School in Daowei Township, Xunhua County, Qinghai;In 2003, Xiangfu Chan Temple invested 600,000 yuan to help build a Wuxi Lingshan Hope Primary School in Deqing County, Duilong, Lhasa, Tibet. At the same time, Xiangfu Chan Temple also provided funding for the development of education in the mainland and the assistance of poor students. From 2000 to 2003, Xiangfu Chan Temple invested a total of more than 1.985 million yuan to assist in the school. In addition, Xiangfu Chan Temple also invested in assisting the government in arranging reemployment of laid-off workers, actively donating money to various charities in social charity, sponsoring reemployment funds, donating medical expenses for critically ill patients, and helping the poor brotherly nations. Xiangfu Chan Temple has won praise from the Buddhist community and all walks of life in practicing "Human Buddhism" and actively developing Buddhist charity.
Xiamen Nanputuo Temple is one of the famous temples in Fujian.In 1927, Master Taixu once abbotted this temple and founded the Minnan Buddhist College. ***Later, under the auspices of the old monk Miaozhan, the temple was rebuilt and expanded. In 1994, the Nanputuo Temple Charity Foundation was established, and charitable institutions such as the Charity Department, Buddhist scriptures circulation department, and free clinic. By the end of 1995, more than 730,000 yuan was donated to social charity and more than 160,000 yuan was donated to cultural and educational undertakings. The Xiamen Municipal Government awarded the Nanputuo Temple Charity Foundation as an advanced unit in special education.Currently, Nanputuo Temple Charity Foundation has more than 20,000 members at home and abroad, and has a total of more than 10 million yuan in charitable donations.
The Hebei Buddhist Association has opened a Buddhist charity merit meeting to carry out relief of orphans, providing scholarships to poor students and other merit causes.The Shanxi Buddhist Association has opened the Wutaishan Buddhist Merit Charity Federation, which has been committed to poverty alleviation and other social charitable donations for many years.
(3)People in the world need "Human Buddhism" and Buddhist charity. They need "Human Buddhism" as the guiding ideology for engaging in Buddhist charity. They need people to be selfless and abandon their selfish desires and greed. This will help cultivate a atmosphere of respecting others, caring for others, being enthusiastic about public welfare, and helping the poor;It helps to resist the evil spirits of materialism, hedonism and individualism, and thus do good things for society.All beings are equal, things are one, compassion, joy and giving, and benefiting others. This is beneficial to protecting the natural environment, harmonious interpersonal relationships, and making the social environment beautiful and peaceful.In fact, while promoting "Human Buddhism", it is also about doing Buddhist charity.People in the world need "Human Buddhism" and Buddhist charity. In today's society, some sentient beings are only profit-making. Corruption, robbery and theft, production of counterfeit and inferior products, and other phenomena that harm others and benefit themselves have been repeatedly banned. These phenomena are not enough to be governed by national legal means alone. "Human Buddhism" must also be used to improve people's moral realm, and through Buddhist charity, they can encourage sentient beings to understand that the most valuable value of life lies in seeking happiness for human society and cultivating the noble spiritual world of sentient beings - to improve personality, purify the mind, and purify society.
The core of the ideological core of human Buddhism can be summarized as "Compassion to the World". This is not only an important part of national laws and social ethics, but also sometimes it can make up for the shortcomings of laws and social moral norms, because the "Human Buddhism" idea of "Compassion to the World" is derived from faith and has an internal conscious constraint, which can complement and complement each other with the external binding force brought by the coercive means of national laws and the public opinion pressure of social morality.In this era of vigorously promoting the construction of spiritual civilization, we should make a great vow to promote the "Human Buddhism" idea of "mercifulness to the world", transform Buddhism into human, universal, and popularize it, and let the light of Buddhist charity shine in the Saha world!
① From "Thirty Years of the Chinese Buddhist Association" edited by Zhao Puchu p86. Zhonghua Book Company Publishing House.Second printing in 1991.
②Master Taixu proposed the idea of "Human Buddhism", which is to advocate the transformation of Buddhism into human and life.
