Master Hsing Yun, the founder of Fo Guang Shan Temple in the south of Taiwan

 

Master Hsing Yun shows his one-stroke calligraphy in Xiamen Museum, Fujian Province.

 

Master Hsing Yun (1927-  )  was born in the city of Jiangdu, Jiangsu Province, and converted to Buddhism at Dajue Temple at age 12. In the 70 years he has spent as a practicing Buddhist, Master Hsing Yun has authored works totaling more than 20 million words, including Fo Guang Textbook Series, A Hundred Reflections on My Life and Fo Guang Prayer Verses, which have been translated into more than 20 foreign languages.

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Master Hsing Yun has founded nearly 200 temples, 16 Buddhist academies and 50 Chinese schools as well as numerous art museums, libraries and publishing houses around the globe. Of the temples he built, Hsi Lai, Nan Tien, Nanhua and Ru Lai are the largest in America, Australia, Africa and Brazil, respectively. In addition, he also established several universities, including Hsi Lai, Nanhua, Fo Guang, Nan Tien. Recently, a CSST reporter sat down with Master Hsing Yun and talked about his studies on Buddhism.

CSST: You have overcome all sorts of obstacles in your lifelong endeavor to promote Buddhism. What sustained your efforts in the darkest hours? How will you comment on your life in retrospect?

 

Hsing Yun: Frankly speaking, I seldom count anything as an impediment. I simply try my best to carry on with each and every cause. Indeed there have been frustrations and setbacks from time to time. Nonetheless, I managed to confront them head on. If people refuse to sympathize with my cause, I just communicate with them again and again until they listen. For example, when we planned to establish Tsi Lai Temple in Los Angeles, a lot of troubles came our way. We held six public hearings and more than a hundred coordination meetings. It took 10 arduous years of relentless efforts to finish that project.

Looking back, I would not like to consider myself a particularly visionary individual. However, doing something for Buddhism has always been my primary concern. For the benefits of Buddhism, I shall fulfill my religious duties. I shall bear all hardships along the way without complaint. I shall always manifest a dignified comportment and countenance. I shall constantly strive for self-improvement lest people denounce us monks as idle and lazy. I shall never talk nonsense but only truth. I shall defend Buddhism against denouncements through articles. I shall initiate educational, cultural and philanthropic projects.

CSST: The concept of “humanistic Buddhism” had been advocated by Master Taixu, Master Yinshun and renowned laypersons, such as Zhao Puchu. You have dedicated your entire life to promoting the same cause. How do you understand “humanistic Buddhism?”

 

Hsing Yun: Buddhism is essentially humanistic at the root. It was into the human world that Buddha was born, embarked on spiritual cultivation, attained enlightenment and spread the dharma. In this light, there is nothing special or revolutionary about the notion. It is fairly inclusive in the sense that any teaching can be counted as a branch of “humanistic Buddhism” provided that it is professed by Buddha and conducive to genuine happiness, spiritual purification, goodness and fulfillment of human needs. Furthermore, “humanistic Buddhism” is about self-realization, sincere friendships, mutual tolerance, close family ties, social harmony, global equality, peace and perfect oneness.

CSST: So far, what has been done by Fo Guang Shan Temple to modernize and promote Buddhism?

 

Hsing Yun:  When I set out to establish the organization, I had a lofty ideal in mind that we will build a Buddhist kingdom on the earth, catering to what humans need at each stage of life. We took everything into consideration, including birth, illness, aging, death and other unavoidable issues.
 

As the ancient saying goes, “the young shall receive education, while the elders shall have a resting place.” To benefit the young, I established orphanages in Sri Lanka, India and Brazil. Some charitable institutions in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand kept sending children to Fo Guang Shan Temple. We found them access to education then.
 

CSST: You have established dozens of Buddhist academies, universities, primary and secondary schools around the world. What has motivated you to embark on getting involved with education?

 

Hsing Yun: I had never received formal education as a child. It was only after entering into Qi Xia Academy of Vinaya at 17 or so that I was granted access to books. In my understanding, education elevates our temperament, intellectual faculties, all-round capacities and thus enables us to inspire other people and better serve the public. The fate of a nation is closely correlated with its educational achievements and talent pool. Similarly, the future of Buddhism is largely determined by the quantity and quality of personnel serving its cause.

CSST: You have founded many Buddhist academies and publishing houses and compiled several series of Buddhist works, including Fo Guang Tripitaka, Buddhism Today, Life, and so on. In what ways have these enterprises fostered Buddhist studies at large?

 

Hsing Yun: As for the compilation of Fo Guang Tripitaka, I started it in 1977, and this undertaking was not without a certain measure of audacity. Accomplishing such an arduous task required the concerted efforts of many gifted brains. Launching a modernized version of Tripitaka was necessary since old ones, without paragraphs or punctuation, are barely readable for the general public. We have been working on this project for more than 30 years and have published the constituent parts of the new Tripitaka successively, including canons of Agama, Prajna, Zen, Pure Land Buddhism and Samantabhadra. The Tripitaka, consisting of 198 books, 1,023 sections and 39 research articles, has been circulating in China, Japan, Korea, Britain, France, Germany, America, Australia and so on.

CSST: Can you tell us something about the relationship between Buddhism and culture?

 

Hsing Yun: In my understanding, the core of Chinese culture is basically synonymous to the collective achievements of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. Therefore, Chinese culture cannot be revived without emphasizing and fostering the three great teachings and other historical legacies. To rejuvenate and promote Chinese culture, we should revisit its ancient trajectory.
 

CSST: Your previous works, such as the The Life of Buddha, Between Illusion and Enlightenment, Contemplating Buddhism and Life: A Centurial Journey, have been translated into more than 20 foreign languages. Based on your own experience as an author, what do you think of the mutual influences between religions and literature?

 

Hsing Yun: In Buddhist textual traditions, it is commonly seen that philosophical content is expressed through literary forms. Many scriptures, such as the Flower Ornament Sutra, Lotus Sutra, Vimalakirti Sutra, Diamond Sutra, are not only abundant in philosophical reflections but are also replete with literary implications. Moreover, many monks possess astonishing literary talents. Their poems and verses are elegant in style and profound in meaning. Extraordinary works can triumph over whatsoever temporal and spatial confinement.

CSST: Facilitating cross-Strait relations has always been the top priority of your agenda. How will you bring the mainland and Chinese Taiwan even closer in the future?

 

Hsing Yun: People ought to have a harmonious heart, meaning that there should be genuine mutual respect and fraternal love between each other. Family etiquette and ethics will ensure a harmonious atmosphere at home, which is the prerequisite for social harmony. We can march toward global harmony and peace after harmony is achieved at the personal, family, social and regional level.

 

Ming Haiying is a reporter at the Chinese Social Sciences Today.