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Modern/new Buddhism

Comments

  • DakiniDakini Veteran
    edited September 2011
    "The Intrinsic Nature of Women's Rights and Equality in Buddhist Philosophy"? This I've gotta check out. :)

    "A Buddhist Approach To Management" -- very practical. One of our members asked about that a few months ago.

    Taiwan at the forefront of Modern Buddhism!
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    I've been a diligent student of both for some time now.
    Modern Buddhism?
    no.
    Ancient Buddhism in a new jacket.
  • ToshTosh Veteran
    So what is actually meant with the term 'Modern Buddhism'? I'm a new student, whose studying traditional Tibetan Buddhism, and it seems just as applicable today as it would've in past times.

    The only modern aspect I can think of is how it's communicated; we have websites, downloadable dharma talks and videos.
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    Sounds about right.
    I personally have no idea what is meant by Modern Buddhism - save that the ancient still fits....
  • DakiniDakini Veteran
    edited September 2011
    Did anyone check out the material on the websites linked here?
    Judging by this material, "Modern Buddhism" means a Buddhism that makes itself hospitable, welcoming, and respectful toward women, and that supports women who might wish to eventually become ordained. It also invites its teachers and philosophers to make available publications that apply the teachings to areas of life that are relevant to practitioners employed in various contemporary professions. The example given here was management. There is certainly a demand for that--we've had a couple of requests for such a book in the last 6 months on this forum.

    Who knows? In the end it may be the Modern East, building on it's ancient Buddhist tradition, that leads the way in adapting Buddhism to the needs of contemporary practitioners, rather than the West. I haven't seen any Western books on "Changing the patterns of the past: the role of women in Buddhism", or "The Intrinsic Nature of Women's Rights and Equality in Buddhist Philosophy". If it coming out of Taiwan, I trust they know what they're talking about regarding Buddhist philosophy.
  • ToshTosh Veteran
    Sorry, I didn't check out the links!

    But this is the author of the books:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hsing_Yun

    What do you think?

  • DakiniDakini Veteran
    Fo Guang Shan (which he founded, it says) is the progressive Buddhist tradition in Taiwan that ordains women (both in their own tradition, and nuns in SE Asia and occasionally Tibetan nuns), and requires courses in ethics for all their teachers. So that's impressive. I don't know about his involvement in politics, though; traditionally, Chan masters avoided involvement in politics.
  • tjampeltjampel
    Taiwan has a very robust Buddhist infrastructure, complete with its own TV channel, monasteries and temples from a wide variety of traditions (including quite a few Tibetan ones. There's actually a scene in the movie "The Unmistaken Child" in which monks in Nepal contact a particular monk, based in Taiwan to try to help track down the rebirth of the former Konchog Rinpoche.

    Especially beloved by me whenever I'm there, a wide selection of vegetarian restaurants and meat-serving restaurants offering extensive vegetarian alternatives. Case in point as a beautiful Japanese Tea house located several thousand feet up in the mountains (but close to Taipei), famous for multi-course Kaseki-style meals, including one that's entirely vegetarian. There are also several vegetarian buffet places run by Buddhist orgs,in Taipei, which raise the art of creating fake meat and seafood to new heights. Try the tuna sushi!

    I've noticed that, in Taiwanese book stores (the larger ones at least, such as Eslite), Buddhist-themed self help and business-oriented books have been big sellers for at least 10 years. Kind of a pragmatic approach I guess.
  • PrometheusPrometheus


    Who knows? In the end it may be the Modern East, building on it's ancient Buddhist tradition, that leads the way in adapting Buddhism to the needs of contemporary practitioners, rather than the West. I haven't seen any Western books on "Changing the patterns of the past: the role of women in Buddhism", or "The Intrinsic Nature of Women's Rights and Equality in Buddhist Philosophy". If it coming out of Taiwan, I trust they know what they're talking about regarding Buddhist philosophy.
    Hm perhaps, but then, they NEED to write books to change Buddhist tradition as it has existed for so long in their culture. I think in Buddhism in the West it would just be taken as a given that women are equal, no books necessary.
  • DakiniDakini Veteran
    edited September 2011
    haha--good point, Prometheus. But maybe they're writing those books for us. While women in the West assume they'll be treated equally to male disciples in the sangha, too often they find out otherwise. And how many threads have there been on this forum discussing passages in the suttras that appear to treat women as "lesser than"? I'm curious to see what that Taiwan Buddhist book has to say; it sounds like somehow the author's managed to find scriptural material we've missed, or maybe he puts a new interpretation on things, idk, but I'm curious.

    @tjampel LOVE Taiwan vegetarian food, and the fake-meat dishes! Thanks for a flash from the past. You're fortunate if you get to visit there from time to time.
  • PrometheusPrometheus
    haha--good point, Prometheus. But maybe they're writing those books for us. While women in the West assume they'll be treated equally to male disciples in the sangha, too often they find out otherwise. And how many threads have there been on this forum discussing passages in the suttras that appear to treat women as "lesser than"? I'm curious to see what that Taiwan Buddhist book has to say; it sounds like somehow the author's managed to find scriptural material we've missed, or maybe he puts a new interpretation on things, idk, but I'm curious.

    @tjampel LOVE Taiwan vegetarian food, and the fake-meat dishes! Thanks for a flash from the past. You're fortunate if you get to visit there from time to time.
    Perhaps. But then it seems to me that the answer is not books finding new scriptural material or interpretations, but books undermining the idea of regarding the sutras as infallible texts in the first place... Because I don't think the authors were omniscient, I think they were fallible humans influenced by the time and place in which they were writing, and when they are held to be infallible it is inevitable that their prejudices will be enshrined for all time as holy law. I, for one, don't need new scriptural material or interpretations to regard women as human beings. If the sutras don't agree that women are human beings, then that is only proof solid that the sutras are not to be trusted as a final authority.

  • DakiniDakini Veteran
    edited September 2011

    If the sutras don't agree that women are human beings, then that is only proof solid that the sutras are not to be trusted as a final authority.
    Well, said. We had a thread some months ago, examining this very question.

    I just came across a Buddha quote in an online article. The Buddha apparently said at one point that if his sangha didn't have both men and women in it participating equally, then it was incomplete. No sutric reference was given. But this is the kind of material I'd like to see; it's never been mentioned here in the year that I've been participating. I haven't seen it mentioned on other forums, either. Maybe I'll have to buy the Taiwan book. ^_^

    You may not need to have access to sutric material validating women's equality, but those of us who have been in the Vajrayana tradition need that in order to refute teachings about women not being able to reach enlightenment, women being of inferior birth, and so on.
  • CloudCloud Veteran
    edited September 2011
    I think "Modern" Buddhism must mean a state of confusion and disarray. ;)
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    Oh.
    Same as ancient Buddhism....
    That, I think, is probably why The Buddha's message seems complex, but is in fact simple.
    "I come to show what suffering is, and how to transcend it." (More or less.....)

    And as is commonly pointed out, " 'Simple' doesn't mean 'easy'."
  • andyrobynandyrobyn Veteran
    Taiwan has a very robust Buddhist infrastructure, complete with its own TV channel, monasteries and temples from a wide variety of traditions (including quite a few Tibetan ones. There's actually a scene in the movie "The Unmistaken Child" in which monks in Nepal contact a particular monk, based in Taiwan to try to help track down the rebirth of the former Konchog Rinpoche.

    Especially beloved by me whenever I'm there, a wide selection of vegetarian restaurants and meat-serving restaurants offering extensive vegetarian alternatives. Case in point as a beautiful Japanese Tea house located several thousand feet up in the mountains (but close to Taipei), famous for multi-course Kaseki-style meals, including one that's entirely vegetarian. There are also several vegetarian buffet places run by Buddhist orgs,in Taipei, which raise the art of creating fake meat and seafood to new heights. Try the tuna sushi!

    I've noticed that, in Taiwanese book stores (the larger ones at least, such as Eslite), Buddhist-themed self help and business-oriented books have been big sellers for at least 10 years. Kind of a pragmatic approach I guess.
    Hi tjampel,

    I think I have visited this tea house. My daughter and I are travelling to Indonesia, Taiwan and then coming home via KL, leaving next week .... so a timely reminder for me - my hosts in Taipei have asked if there is anywhere we would like to visit.

  • jupitermadcatjupitermadcat
    There is a Fo Guang Shan temple where i live very nice would this be considered Humanistic Buddhism?
  • DakiniDakini Veteran
    "Humanistic Buddhism"? I've never heard that term. Care to start a thread on that? I think it would be a very interesting discussion.
    Where do you live, jupitermadcat, that you have a Fo guang Shan temple near you?
  • jupitermadcatjupitermadcat
    I Live in South Florida maybe I'm wrong I Believe its called I.B.PS? And its part of Fo gang Shan.
  • DakiniDakini Veteran
    Oh, that's news to me, that FGS has a branch in FL. I looked it up once, and it said they have temples and a university in CA, that was all for the US. You're lucky, if you have one in your area.
  • jupitermadcatjupitermadcat
    You can look it up and let me know if I'm correct or not.
  • LesCLesC Bermuda Veteran
    If one looks at the history of Buddhism, there is a long and rich history of Buddhism changing to adapt to the culture of a region. Might this just be another instance of that?
  • DakiniDakini Veteran
    edited September 2011
    If one looks at the history of Buddhism, there is a long and rich history of Buddhism changing to adapt to the culture of a region. Might this just be another instance of that?
    You mean, Chan Buddhism on Taiwan adapting to 21st-century values and needs? I guess that's one way of looking at it. I'm just glad that someone has perceived a need for this, and has addressed it.

    Do you know what I.B.PS stands for, madcat? International Buddhist ... something? I'm still intrigued by your term, "Humanistic Buddhism", btw. :)
  • jupitermadcatjupitermadcat
    This is where i got the term Humanistic Buddhism

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fo_Guang_Shan
  • jupitermadcatjupitermadcat
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanistic_Buddhism
  • DakiniDakini Veteran
    Thanks--interesting stuff.
  • riverflowriverflow Veteran
    <3 Cheng Yen & Tzu Chi.
  • jupitermadcatjupitermadcat
    Come to think of it isn't Buddhism Humanistic in General?
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