Buddhism in the City (Proceedings of the Symposium Celebrating the 120th Anniversary of Shanghai Jade Buddha Temple)

Author: Awakening Editor
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-02-01
Features: As a concept that emerged in the second half of the last century, "Humanistic Buddhism" cannot be found among the countless traditional Buddhist terms. However, as a core proposition that has been practiced and promoted throughout the 2,500-year history of Buddhism, it has been upheld at every moment. Since modern times, due to the rigid and decadent ideology prevalent among some conservative forces in the Buddhist community, the leader of the new Buddhist movement—Venerable Taixu—rose to advocate the establishment of "Humanistic Buddhism" and began to organize the reform of all systems and ideas that hindered the progress of Buddhism. His successor—Venerable Yinshun—further proposed the concept of "Humanistic Buddhism." The former President of the Chinese Buddhist Association, Venerable Zhao Puchu, in light of the state of Chinese Buddhism after the "Cultural Revolution," vigorously promoted the call to "establish Humanistic Buddhism and adorn the pure land of the human world," making it the guiding principle for the revival and development of Chinese Buddhism during that period. He defined the promotion of the three fine traditions of Chinese Buddhism as the basic content of "Humanistic Buddhism," exerting an extremely profound influence on the revitalization and development of Chinese Buddhism in the past two decades. The successful holding of the symposium "Urban Temples and Humanistic Buddhism" provided concrete and meaningful guidance on how urban temples can practice "Humanistic Buddhism," offering valuable references for all urban temples, including Yufo Temple. To express our heartfelt gratitude to all parties involved in participating and caring about this symposium, as well as to share the fruits of this symposium with more knowledgeable individuals both inside and outside the Buddhist community, thereby further sparking exploration and debate on the topic of "Urban Temples and Humanistic Buddhism," we have compiled a selection of papers from this symposium into this volume. We believe that these research findings will not only hold immense guiding significance for the future development of Yufo Temple but also serve as excellent references for all urban temples and other temples alike.