Category: Featured Article

An Honest Revelation

By Buddhism in Everyday Life

All my life, many have thought of me as rich, but the truth is, staying poor has always been my motto. I grew up in a poverty-stricken family, yet I never saw myself as poor, because I always felt rich in heart. Till my old age, many have thought of me as very wealthy because they believe I own many education institutes, cultural enterprises, publishing houses, and foundations; however, I never felt that I owned anything because these belong to the public, not to me. Although I have constructed many temples around the world, none of these houses, buildings, or even any of the furniture were intended for me. I own not a single piece of the tiles above my head or a single mound of the dirt beneath my feet. Every object within the Buddhist community belongs to the world, so how can there be such a thing as individual possessions? Nonetheless, in my mind, I can still feel that the entire world is mine.

Only Setting the Tone and Not Becoming the Master

By Book Preview

It seemed that I had to do every­thing for Buddhism. For Buddhism, I have to only set the tone and not be­come the master, hand over my physi­cal body to the temple and give my life to the Dharma protectors, heav­enly beings and nagas, and making the aspiration to head out for Buddhism, striving to move Buddhism to­ward humanity and society. It seemed then that I suddenly saw people in the tens of thousands who were waving at me. I must propagate the Dharma for the benefit of sentient beings, and usher in a new set of circumstances for Buddhism.

My Silent Revolution for Buddhism

By Book Preview

In devoting my life to Buddhism, in order to keep Buddhism current with the advances in society, in terms of thoughts, I am always making improvements at every hour and moment; in terms of practice, I am constantly and continuously making adjustments. Even though I know that Buddhism must be reformed, innovation never comes into being in the heat of the moment. My “silent revolution” advocates that some things advance, while some things retreat; some things proceed, while some things stop. Although the results are not apparent immediately, I consistently work on them, which can slowly overcome any obstacle!

Born into Tribulation, Raised in Adversity, yet Experienced a Lifetime of Joy

By Book Preview

People often ask me, “What ad­versity have you experienced in your life?” And for a moment, I can­not come up with an answer. I have always maintained the attitude of taking things as they come, as in the sayings “When the soldiers come, de­ploy the generals to fight back; when there is a flood, use earth to stop it” and “When encountering a mountain, cut a path through; when encounter­ing water, build a bridge.” Therefore, what adversity could there be? Today, at the age of ninety [2016], my life can be expressed by twelve words: “Born into tribulation, raised in adversity, yet experienced a lifetime of joy.”

My Reflections on Venerable Master Taixu’s Fiftieth Birthday Poem

By Book Preview

In fact, what I have enjoyed the most in my reading, and it could be said that a piece of writing that has had an important influence upon
my life is the poem “Thoughts on My Fiftieth Birthday,” written by Venerable Master Taixu during his visit to India when the lay Buddhist Tan Yun-shan, Chairperson of the Institute of Chinese Language and Culture at Visva-Bharati University held a celebration for his fiftieth birthday.

Am I Really Like a Monk?

By Book Preview

Given that I have become a monk,
I have placed demands upon
myself. My sense of leaving the secular
and focusing on the path must
surpass others; my sense of self restraint and
doing for others must be
strengthened. I must learn to endure
disadvantage, and I must let others
gain some advantage at my expense; I
must learn how to be patient and how
to undergo adversity. This is all as it
should be.