The Relationship between Buddhism and Life 佛教與人生的關係

Venerable Zhu Mo 竺摩法師

There are two main schools of Buddhism, Theravāda and Mahāyāna. The former spread from southern India to Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, and the island of Java during King Asoka’s reign in ancient India. The latter spread from northern India to Tibet, China, Korea, Japan, and the Ryukyu Islands during the reign of the Chinese Emperor Ming of the Han dynasty. It has since disseminated into all parts of Malaysia in the last two or three hundred years. Buddhism has spread throughout the world in two thousand and five hundred years. Today, it is distributed vastly, found not only in the Southeast Asian countries, but also Europe and the United States. The religion is practiced by people in the East and West, and has a significant number of devotees.

However, which group is greater in number? Is it those who have truly studied Buddhism in faith and possess deep knowledge and understanding of it, or is it those who do not have faith, have not studied it deeply, and misunderstand some of its teachings? I think there are many people who have misconceptions about Buddhism because they lack understanding. Therefore, I have chosen the topic of the “relationship between Buddhism and life” to point out some misunderstandings about Buddhism. The aim is to remove some of the common obstacles to understanding, show the benefits of Buddhism to life and society, and establish a meaningful and valuable belief in life.

1. Buddhism is about Life, not Death

Some people think that Buddhism is not required during their lifetime. It is only when they die that Buddhism is needed to save their souls and lead them to heaven. Therefore, many people do not really know Buddhism and do not have a favorable impression of it. Only when a family member dies do they rush to a temple to find a monk to recite sūtras as a way to superficially show respect for the deceased. This is professing devotion to the Buddha and Triple Gem only in the time of crisis.

The Buddhist method of teaching the Dharma (dharmaparyāya) originally had two aspects: cultivating merit to extend life and transcending death and rebirth. As stated in the Sūtra of the Medicine Buddha, the former aspect is summed up in the principle of improving the body and mind, eliminating calamities and collecting merit, building a harmonious society, governing wisely, maintaining a prosperous economy, and dealing with the various affairs of life in a fair and reasonable manner. As the saying goes, “Praying for and receiving longevity, obtaining prosperity and wealth, and begetting children.” National Master Yu Lin had this verse of praise after reading the Sūtra of the Medicine Buddha, “One sees the Yangzhou cranes in the human realm even when drifting on the virtuous Tathāgata path.” The latter aspect of transcending death and rebirth is found in the Amitābha Sūtra of Pure Land Buddhism. It holds that those who wholeheartedly chant the Buddha’s name will be reborn in the Western Paradise, and will personally see Amitābha Buddha. Alternatively, one can also help the deceased reach the Pure Land through chanting sūtras and reciting the Buddha’s name. This is called the method of transcending death through rebirth.

This practice has been popular since the Song and Ming dynasties in China, and later generations seem to only understand Buddhism as being able to liberate the dead with no seeming relation to life. During this time, the practice of Medicine Buddha became less prominent. Thus, people’s understanding of Buddhism changed over time from a religion concerning life to that of death. If someone in the family passes away, their relatives invite monks to chant sūtras over the body. The tradition of Buddhism for the living (Medicine Buddha) became overshadowed by Buddhism for the dead (rebirth in Amitābha’s Pure Land). Sending Buddhism for Human Life to the grave like this would have made the Medicine Buddha who dispels calamities and lengthens life cry out in insult!

The Buddha was born on earth to expound the Dharma to sentient beings. Although his intent was to liberate all sentient beings in the Six Realms, his teaching is focused mainly on human beings. He was born in the human world, not in heaven; he attained buddhahood in the human world; he transmitted the Buddhist teachings in the human world. This shows that the Buddha was in the human realm for humans, and the Buddha’s teachings are also for humans. Spiritual cultivation in the human realm can bring about perfect attainment.

As Minister Pei Xiu’s preface to the Sūtra of Perfect Enlightenment states, “Souls cycle through the Six Realms; hungry ghost beings and hell beings are distressed; animals are concerned with devils, asuras are always angry; heavenly beings indulge in pleasure; only human beings are in the position to cultivate the mind and attain spiritual progress through the right path. If people do not follow the Buddha’s teaching and practice, I think he did not do what should be done!” This sentence shows the close and important relationship between Buddhism and the life of a human being.

The Relationship between Buddhism and Life 佛教與人生的關係

Venerable Zhu Mo 竺摩法師

There are two main schools of Buddhism, Theravāda and Mahāyāna. The former spread from southern India to Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, and the island of Java during King Asoka’s reign in ancient India. The latter spread from northern India to Tibet, China, Korea, Japan, and the Ryukyu Islands during the reign of the Chinese Emperor Ming of the Han dynasty. It has since disseminated into all parts of Malaysi...

Editor’s Preface

PAPERS

Venerable Zhu Mo 竺摩法師: The Relationship between Buddhism and Life 佛教與人生的關係

Tan Jie 譚潔: Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s Perspective on Humanistic Buddhism’s Life Education 星雲大師人間佛教的生命教育觀

Lee Chih-Ying 李芝瑩: Recrafting Role Models: A Discussion of the Contemporary Application of Buddhist Life Education Through the Comic—The Ten Great Disciples 典範重塑— 從《畫說十大弟子》 談佛教生命教育的當代實踐

Huei Kai Shih 慧開法師: A Modern Interpretation of Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s Belief that “Life Does Not Die”星雲大師人間佛教信念「生命不死」 的現代詮釋

Zheng Xiaojiang 鄭曉江: Buddhism and Hospice Care 佛教與臨終關懷

Chen Yi Biao 陳一標: Objectively Validating the Practice of Humanistic Buddhism 人間佛教實踐的客觀化

Liu Chengyou 劉成有: The Value of the Buddhism Practiced by Fo Guang Shan 佛光山佛教實踐的當代價值

Han Cheng-cai 韓成才: The Concept of Wealth in Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s Humanistic Buddhism 試論星雲大師人間佛教財富觀

Bee Scherer: Human World Buddhism at Fo Guang Shan: Localising Anthropocentric Dharma

Yu Sang: The Buddhist Nationalism in Master Fafang’s Thought 1

Nadine Levy and Suzanne Franzway: Perspective: The Teacher and Late Modern Buddhism in the West: Commitment and Dilemmas

COMMENTARIES

D.E. Osto: Commentary: Loving-Kindness and Compassion

Darui Long: Commentary: Yang Renshan, a Living Bodhisattva

APPENDICES

Venerable Master Hsing Yun 星雲大師: Appendix: Loving-Kindness and Compassion

Venerable Master Hsing Yun 星雲大師: Appendix: Yang Renshan, a Bodhisattva

Editor’s Preface

PAPERS

Venerable Zhu Mo 竺摩法師: The Relationship between Buddhism and Life 佛教與人生的關係

Tan Jie 譚潔: Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s Perspective on Humanistic Buddhism’s Life Education 星雲大師人間佛教的生命教育觀

Lee Chih-Ying 李芝瑩: Recrafting Role Models: A Discussion of the Contemporary Application of Buddhist Life Education Through the Comic—The Ten Great Disciples 典範重塑— 從《畫說十大弟子》 談佛教生命教育的當代實踐

Huei Kai Shih 慧開法師: A Modern Inte...

Editor’s Preface

PAPERS
Venerable Zhu Mo 竺摩法師: The Relationship between Buddhism and Life 佛教與人生的關係
Tan Jie 譚潔: Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s Perspective on Humanistic Buddhism’s Life Education 星雲大師人間佛教的生命教育觀
Lee Chih-Ying 李芝瑩: Recrafting Role Models: A Discussion of the Contemporary Application of Buddhist Life Education Through the Comic—The Ten Great Disciples 典範重塑— 從《畫說十大弟子》 談佛教生命教育的當代實踐
Huei Kai Shih 慧開法師: A Modern Interpretation of Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s Belief that “Life Does Not Die”星雲大師人間佛教信念「生命不死」 的現代詮釋
Zheng Xiaojiang 鄭曉江: Buddhism and Hospice Care 佛教與臨終關懷
Chen Yi Biao 陳一標: Objectively Validating the Practice of Humanistic Buddhism 人間佛教實踐的客觀化
Liu Chengyou 劉成有: The Value of the Buddhism Practiced by Fo Guang Shan 佛光山佛教實踐的當代價值
Han Cheng-cai 韓成才: The Concept of Wealth in Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s Humanistic Buddhism 試論星雲大師人間佛教財富觀
Bee Scherer: Human World Buddhism at Fo Guang Shan: Localising Anthropocentric Dharma
Yu Sang: The Buddhist Nationalism in Master Fafang’s Thought 1
Nadine Levy and Suzanne Franzway: Perspective: The Teacher and Late Modern Buddhism in the West: Commitment and Dilemmas

COMMENTARIES
D.E. Osto: Commentary: Loving-Kindness and Compassion
Darui Long: Commentary: Yang Renshan, a Living Bodhisattva

APPENDICES
Venerable Master Hsing Yun 星雲大師: Appendix: Loving-Kindness and Compassion
Venerable Master Hsing Yun 星雲大師: Appendix: Yang Renshan, a Bodhisattva

Editor’s Preface

PAPERS
Venerable Zhu Mo 竺摩法師: The Relationship between Buddhism and Life 佛教與人生的關係
Tan Jie 譚潔: Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s Perspective on Humanistic Buddhism’s Life Education 星雲大師人間佛教的生命教育觀
Lee Chih-Ying 李芝瑩: Recrafting Role Models: A Discussion of the Contemporary Application of Buddhist Life Education Through the Comic—The Ten Great Disciples 典範重塑— 從《畫說十大弟子》 談佛教生命教育的當代實踐
Huei Kai Shih 慧開法師: A Modern In...