Pure Land and the Environmental Movement in Humanistic Buddhism

William Yau nang Ng*

*此作品的通信作者

研究成果: 書貢獻/報告類型篇章

3 引文 斯高帕斯(Scopus)

摘要

There are two most popular interpretations of the Buddhist idea of Pure Land. The first one regards Pure Land as actual places in the external world created by different buddhas. The second one understands Pure Land as an inner stage of mind resulted from spiritual cultivations. This paper attempts to show that Humanistic Buddhism in Taiwan, especially Master Sheng Yen (1931–2009)’s teaching, developed hand in hand with a new understanding of Pure Land, which not only challenges the traditional understanding, but also provides a theoretical grounding for the social engagement of Buddhism in general and environmental protection in particular. The paper argues that the Pure Land teaching of Sheng Yen demonstrates a three-dimensional understanding of Pure Land. In spatial terms, the inner dimension emphasizes the purification of one’s mind; the vertical dimension emphasizes the transmigration to the other world, the Pure Land of Amitabha; and the horizontal dimension emphasizes the establishment of Pure Land on the earth. This three-dimensional Pure Land not only integrates the two traditional interpretations, but also adds a socially engaged dimension to it. The concept of Pure Land thus differs sharply from the old syncretic tradition. It can be described as “this-worldly Pure Land”. It is a new orientation of Humanistic Buddhism, which deviates drastically from the traditional idea of leaving the mundane world for a world of ultimate happiness.

原文英語
主出版物標題Dao Companions to Chinese Philosophy
發行者Springer Science and Business Media B.V.
頁面419-440
頁數22
DOIs
出版狀態已發佈 - 2018
對外發佈

出版系列

名字Dao Companions to Chinese Philosophy
9
ISSN(列印)2211-0275
ISSN(電子)2542-8780

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • 哲學
  • 歷史

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