Pavel Ceban 12/1/13 Honors 394B Journal 9

Engagement through Modern Buddhism

Socially Engaged Buddhism is a modern phenomenon of Buddhists who are actively
engaged in the political, social, economic, and ecological problems that plague the contemporary
world. The term was first coined in the 1960s by Thich Nhat Hanh, who played a key role in the
Vietnamese peace movement. Witnessing the violence and atrocities of the world, Hanh and
other Buddhist leaders realized the positive potential that Buddhism could have in their societies.
Buddhism naturally addresses an awareness of ones self and surroundings as well as
compassion for all living beings. By utilizing those core principles and values, Socially Engaged
monks were able to start a movement that not only affected parts of Asia, but also parts of the
Western world. Although it has been the subject of criticism by certain groups, Socially Engaged
Buddhism remains one of the most important factors of social change in todays world. Taiwan,
for instance, is home to several Socially Engaged Buddhist groups. One of those groups includes
Fo Guang Shan, which greatly emphasizes both Buddhist worship and social engagement. Like
many other similar organizations, Fo Guang Shan works closely with the community to provide
the public with greater awareness and opportunities.
Fo Guang Shan was founded in 1967 by Hsing Yun, a Chinese immigrant to Taiwan.
Yun began a Buddhist way of life at an early age and received his Buddhist precepts when he
was just fourteen. Later, he went on to become an integral figure in the Republic of Chinas
Buddhist movement, with his influence a factor in Fo Guang Shans popularity. After building
the first of many Fo Guang Shan temples, Yun decided to include a museum, guest house,
library, and even classrooms. The organization, which expanded to several branches in Taiwan
and Australia, is extremely involved with advancing educational opportunities in its
communities. It hosts Buddhism studies for men, women, and foreigners. It also includes adult
Pavel Ceban 12/1/13 Honors 394B Journal 9
education centers, youth centers, and holiday religious retreats. Fo Guang Shan even maintains
kindergartens, a middle school, and universities to provide children and young adults with better
access to education.
Moreover, the organization is home to the Merit Times, a daily newspaper that contains a
variety of information, ranging from local politics to international and financial news. This is a
noteworthy concept because Socially Engaged Buddhism is meant to reflect the modern world,
and by utilizing the media, Fo Guang Shan is able to reach a wider audience. The newspaper has
a unique component to it as well. It does not sensationalize the news, and it analyzes the causes
of crimes as opposed to merely focusing on the results. This is very useful in helping audiences
to understand the nature of certain events with a Buddhist mindset of awareness.
Another important aspect of Fo Guang Shan is its involvement in philanthropy and
cultural activities. Each building offers classes on Chinese culture and Buddhism, and the
organization runs a publishing company that makes books, journals, videos, and texts associated
with Buddhism. Fo Guang Shan hosts art showcases in its museums as well to get more people
interested in a Buddhist state of mind. In terms of philanthropy, the members of Fo Guang Shan
are tremendously involved with hospitals and clinics, especially in those areas that are
particularly remote or less wealthy. Since those regions tend to have poorer access to healthcare
and medical attention, the Buddhists of Fo Guang Shan actively participate in running local
clinics and events aimed at promoting medical awareness. In fact, the group has a Winter Poor
Relief Committee and an Emergency Relief Committee, which are both aimed at helping the
poor and those who are less privileged. In addition, Fo Guang Shan runs an orphanage and a
prison program that encourages drug addicts to quit their drug abuse through Buddhism. These
Pavel Ceban 12/1/13 Honors 394B Journal 9
types of Engaged Buddhism have been vital throughout the crises that afflicted parts of Asia, and
they have played a central role in helping less-privileged groups all over the globe.
Apart from just addressing social issues, Fo Guang Shan places a high regard for
practicing Buddhist teachings. Its temples emphasize study, chanting and reciting, meditation,
and service, which require active participation from both the Sangha and the laity. Yun strongly
believed in Buddhisms involvement in society, so each member is asked to participate in
religious activities and social service. This is significant because Yuns group has never been
accused of being too one-sided in its practices. It contains elements of both religious teachings
and social development, so each aspect of Socially Engaged Buddhism is represented. In
contrast, there were and still are monks who only focus on their own religious goals, making
some question the very nature of Buddhism in societal issues. But, as author Sallie King
mentions in her book, Socially Engaged Buddhism, those hermit monks always remained a
minority option (King 10). Consequently, the majority of monks were already engaged with
their villages, either as educators, doctors, etc. long before the term Socially Engaged
Buddhism was used. This shows that Buddhism has always contained aspects of social
engagement, and with organizations like Fo Guang Shan, the movement has become more
widespread and structured. Hsing Yun founded Fo Guang Shan with the intention of propagating
Buddhism and fulfilling his social goals. This mentality has been vital in shaping Buddhisms
sustainability in the 21
st
century.
In general, Fo Guang Shans engagement in the globalized world is a great example of
Socially Engaged Buddhism from the perspective of Sallie Kings novel. According to the
author, The Asian Engaged Buddhists are important modernizers of Buddhism, adapting
tradition to contemporary challenges (King 12). This is exactly what Yun envisioned when he
Pavel Ceban 12/1/13 Honors 394B Journal 9
first began the building of Fo Guang Shan. In fact, the organization now spans numerous
branches in Taiwan, Australia, the United States, and France. Its goal is to spread the teachings
of Buddhism and to help foster community and social development. Furthermore, King mentions
the Sarvodaya Shramadana, a Sri Lankan group that is very similar to Fo Guang Shan. She
attributes the groups societal work as belonging to the core of the Engaged Buddhist movement
in Southeast Asia. The similarities between the two groups are a good reminder of the spread of
modern Buddhism throughout all parts of Asia. After all, many people associate this type of
Buddhism with nations such as Thailand, Cambodia, or Vietnam, but as King and Hsing Yun
have made evident, Engaged Buddhism spans throughout Southeast Asia and even parts of the
West, making organizations like Fo Guang Shan extremely valuable as proponents of the
movement. Overall, Socially Engaged Buddhism is not a new form of Buddhism. It is simply a
reflection of the contemporary world and the needs of ailing societies. Fo Guang Shan is just one
of many Engaged Buddhist organizations who not only want to carry on the practice of
Buddhism, but also utilize it to help make the world a better place.