| Summary: | 碩士 === 南華大學 === 宗教學研究所 === 104 === The issue of monastics concerning politics has long been noticed and discussed since the founding of the Republic of China. Due to anti-Buddhist policies and the dramatic influences imposed by the media, general public have formed stereotypes that monastics should have stayed away from the mundane world and never asked worldly affairs. Hence, when they stand out and demonstrate concerns for politics, monastics are mostly censured and criticized, even giving rise to “political monks”.
The true meaning of politics refers to anything that concerns the general public, rather than party politics or power games. The Buddha was born in a political family. Abandoning the throne and renouncing for cultivation, he did not dislike or avoid politics or mundane business, but continued to teach in India. The fact that he had counseled rulers on how to govern their countries as benevolent rulers demonstrated that the Buddha still cared about the society and the people. Throughout Chinese history, many monastics became imperial counselors, assisting emperors to rule their kingdom with Buddhist principles and to benefit their people. Master Fotudeng (Skt. Buddhacinga) transformed the barbaric natures of Shi Le and Shi Hu and prevented countless wars. Master Mingzhan taught compassion to Emperor Taizong of Tang, which led him to refrain from killing, to practice vegetarianism, and to save people from sufferings. If one monastic who is concerned with political issues is labelled as a “political monk”, then the Buddha and all other monastics would have all fallen into the same scope.
Venerable Master Hsing Yun (Hereafter referred to as Hsing Yun), following Venerable Master Tai Xu’s advocate of “asking after government without interfering in governance” positively concerns himself with any issues related to people, such as people's livelihood, education system, charity services, and others, in accordance with his principle of “doing mundane issues with a transmundane mind”. Therefore, the title of “political monk” has been with associated with him. In 2015, Hsing Yun, using a pen name of Chao Wu-Ren, disclosed the corrupted election culture and political malpractices. This has received wide acceptance and responses from general public. By doing so, III Hsing Yun has waked citizens to the need of fulfilling their responsibilities to our society with nonself.
This Study investigates the essence of “politics being everyone’s affairs”, and illustrates Hsing Yun’s political thoughts as well as their manifestations, from the perspective of the “Supreme Bodhi” (Skt. Anuttara-Bodhi) inherent in Mahayana bodhisattvas. From being ridiculed as a “political monk” to being recognized as a honorable citizen, “Chao Wu-Ren”, this Article explores Hsing Yun’s immense compassion, forbearance and transcendence that underlies his principle of “caring political affairs without interference”. It also attempts to outline the political viewpoint of Hsing Yun’s Humanistic Buddhism ideal.
|
|---|
