| Summary: | 碩士 === 佛光大學 === 藝術學研究所 === 99 === The establishment of “Humanistic Buddhism” is one of key trends in the development of modern Chinese Buddhism. Fo Guang Shan (FGS), which is a leading organization in promoting Humanistic Buddhism, adopts “culture” as its priority in Dharma propagation, hand in hand with the Way of Bodhi and the arts, in propagating the Dharma throughout the world. This is an achievement observable in the development of contemporary Buddhism.
This article aims to preliminarily construct a developmental model on the relationship between the Way of Bodhi and the arts in the propagation of Humanistic Buddhism, employing FGS as a case study. It also intends to sort out the context, clarify respective perception as well as explore the essence, and reveal the significance of the relationship between the Way of Bodhi and the arts. First of all, we have to understand the relationship between the concept of Buddhism and Chinese culture, as well as the issues faced by contemporary Chinese Buddhism. In the context of the twentieth century, in which Buddhism faced significant challenges, the concept of “Humanistic Buddhism” was established. The conditions of the era impacted the development of Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s efforts at Dharma propagation. Furthermore, the paper also recognizes the concept of Venerable Master in his notions of “Humanistic Buddhism”; especially in the area of Dharma propagation through culture and the arts. Since “Humanistic Buddhism” is an important innovative trend in contemporary Chinese Buddhism, and its main focus is on practical engagement with the people, it is important to explore how Venerable Master Hsing Yun integrated the essence of these concepts and the model of development to address contemporary issues.
On a deeper level, the focus is on the exploration of the relationship between the Way of Bodhi and Arts such as how from a single thought of “Delivering the Way of Bodhi through Culture” started off the speculation on the necessary contemplation on both subjects in the “Dialogue between the Way of Bodhi and Arts; and discuss the relationship of true emptiness and marvelous existence between the connection of “Essence and Function” from the content and structure of the integration of the Way of Bodhi and Arts. To discuss the” Transcendent Roles” from the beautiful life of “The Wholesomeness of the Way of the Bodhi and Arts” and their non-duality, and to practically realize the necessity of “cross-border cultivation”, to discover the implementation of the Way of the Bodhi and arts in Humanistic Buddhism are but different paths up the same mountain. The temporal and spatial context is one which the human realm is primary, and culture is the delivering vehicle as well as the Buddhist doctrine as noumenon to form a system. All these serves as a direction to implement and achieve the saying of the Way of the Bodhi is not far from Human beings in the Dharma propagation through culture.
There is also discussion on the feasibility and possible platforms for the “Exemplification of the Way of Bodhi and Arts” based on the ways of propagating Dharma through culture in Fo Guang Shan such as architecture design, publication, the arts, and Buddhist music. Finally, I conclude with Fo Guang Shan’s Dharma propagation through culture as a “Unity of the Way of Bodhi and Arts” and with my expectation raised for future Dharma propagation through culture in Humanistic Buddhism, I hope to attract valuable feedbacks too.
This article is written base on time and affinity in the lens of a deacon contemplating the FGS’s administrative wing in Dharma propagation through culture as research’s objective. From the perspective of the relationship between “The Way of Bodhi and Arts”, this article attempts to explore the evolution of Buddhist culture in this ever-changing time and space – the process of absorption, integration and transformation it undergoes – and further to elucidate the relationship between the development of "Humanistic Buddhism" and "Contemporary Culture.”
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