A Comparative Study of Tien-Tai Minor Zhi-Guan and Fo Guang Shan Life Ch’an

• Main Authors: YANG,Li-Na, 楊莉那
• Other Authors: John B.Chuang
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2007
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/11465662972424546064

碩士 === 輔仁大學 === 宗教學系 === 95 === Abstract With the changes of the era, modern people require religion to settle physical and mental unstability, while meditation and spiritual cultivation are the most popular religious activities of the time. Many Taiwanese are keen in practice meditation for the sake of health, and meditation seems to be appealing to many newly found religious organizations forming meditations groups; therefore, meditation becomes a popular activity in modern societies. Fo Guang Shan Religious Group is a modernized Buddhist system, and Fo Guang Life Ch’an is a method of Ch’an practice that Fo Guang Religious Group has developed based on the Lin-chi lineage. Ch’an is a focus of Buddhist practice and constructing a way of practice and meditation hall organization appropriate to modern practitioners is an important task for a modern Buddhist organization. Buddhist was brought to China from India, and its teachings were merged with Chinese culture to form Chinese Buddhism, with Tian Tai and Ch’an being the two major streams of Chinese Buddhism. Tian Tai is based on the philosophies of “three thousand worlds in one thought”, “one mind and three aspects of knowledge”, “harmony of the threefold truth”, aiming on both meditation and wisdom, exploring one’s Buddha nature. Both schools had different philosophy and methodologies on Buddhist meditation. As oppose to traditional Indian Buddhism, Suei dynasty Tian Tai had a revolutionary methodology of Ch’an; similarly, comparing to Tian Tai, Fo Guang Shan Life Ch’an has also been a revolution to the way of Ch’an practice. This desertion commence its literature search on Tian Tai’s mental discipline by Master Zhi-yi of Suei Dynasty, using the ideal of Fo Guang Shan Humanistic Buddhism, Lin Chi Ch’an and other monastic and lay practitioner’s way of practice as subjects of comparison. The main focus of this research is to compare the methodology and content of traditional and modern Ch’an. We hope to find the position of Fo Guang Shan Life Ch’an in traditional Ch’an lineage and establish the fact that Tian Tai minior Zhi Guan and Humanistic Life Ch’an is the most simple and efficient way to achieve physical and mental tranquility for modern Buddhist. The study adpts the methods of documentary research, historial resesrch and comparative research. The aim of the study is to explore, whether there are any differences and similarities between Tian Tai minar Zhi-Guan and Fo Guang Shan life Ch’an. There are four parts in this study. Firstly, to compare and contrast the meditation practice of the two major systems of Ch’an in China, Tian Tai and Ch’an, from a historical point of view. Second aim of the research is from the theory of Ch’an to discuss the expedient means of Tian Tai minor Zhi-Guan and Life Ch’an. Third is from the preparation of Ch’an to discuss the formal practice of the aforementioned systems of Ch’an, and finally, from the goal of meditation practice to discuss the dedication of minor Zhi-Guan and Life Ch’an. In conclusion, the comparison of Tian Tai minor Zhi-Guan and Fo Guang Shan Life Ch’an confirms the fact that Ch’an must be practiced in every day life with unadorned mentality so as to be in agreement with the original intention. Fo Guang Shan “Humanistic Life Ch’an” employs the concepts of Humanistic Buddhism to provide modernized explanation to the organization and systems of Ch’an. This is in accordance with worldly Buddhist philosophy and is also the Buddhist goal of realizing “pure-land on earth”.