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Actuality of Buddhism on the Chinese Mainland (中国大陆佛教现状及改良之策) December 2, 2011

 

The Significant role played by Buddhism in assisting goverance of country

            - Part IV The actuality of Buddhism on the Chinese Mainland and Ways to Improve It

 

Nowadays, Buddhism has not played a proper and positive role on the Chinese mainland because of the fact that some Buddhists themselves there lack self-discipline and have not accepted or pondered over the idea of going into the secular world to practice Buddhism. This has resulted in an outdated system with improper positioning of its social role and an excess of Governmental intervention and control.

 

To harmonize disputes among different Buddhist sects

Recently, Buddhism on the Chinese mainland has been in a state of disunity, where disputes arise between the Exoteric Buddhism (Sutrayana) and Esoteric Buddhism, even between different sects and temples. Each individual entity does things its own way. The monks can’t reach a common view of integrated harmonization in terms of the theories (Pariyatti) of different sects and practicing a common direction. Because the parts have become separated from the whole, Buddhists’ practice has become superficial and formalized, being called “bubble/foamy Buddhism.” Because of this, Buddhism is losing its value to serve society, and the populace can’t get any moral support from the contemporary Buddhist dharma. On the Chinese mainland, more and more people are dissatisfied with Buddhism, especially Chinese Buddhism. A rough idea of this comes from the fact that, recently, Tibetan Buddhism and Southern Buddhism have rapidly developed independently. Master Yin Shun most sorrowfully said that “Zen (Chan) is the essential Traditional Buddhism, but it has lost its original features.” Some Buddhist orders have been abolished for quite a while. The confession ceremony, chanting the name of Buddha and chanting incantations are the only things still being practiced as Buddhist dharma; in the past, only the ways of Confucianism and Taoism competed with them. Today western religions and philosophy have joined in the competition, resulting in the fact that Buddhism is in need of great changes.

 

In view of this, it is necessary for Exoteric Buddhism and Esoteric Buddhism to have adequate communication and internal readjustment. In fact, historically, the two forms of Buddhism arose from the same source, so the only way to solve the dispute is to use Chinese Mahayana to lead all the different Buddhist sects to change the present situation of disunity and tackle the problem at its root. On this basis, a strong consensus of actively going into the secular world and helping the country get over its present difficulties as well as bringing benefits to its people can be reached. We can then probe into how to go into the secular world in order to assist the society in solving its problems, such as “the lack of morality in the common people,” “increasing serious psychological problems” and making contributions to China’s internal harmony and prosperity in the form of NGO.

 

To reform Buddhist monastic system

The Buddhist temples should be secluded places for those who want to cultivate their original nature and improve themselves. Nowadays, however, the temples have become places for some people to make money. The intervention and control of religious affairs from the local government to which the temples belong have nourished some monks’ utilitarianism in nearly every aspect. Recently the demoralization of monks has been frequently exposed by the media, raising the suspicion of the common people about Buddhist benevolence and credibility. On the other hand, as a Buddhist, a monk should have made a great effort to practice the basic tenets of Buddhism after accepting the offerings from the people to pay them back with his wisdom and benevolence instead of wearing cassocks in disguise under the name of Buddhism to demand money and other things. It is absolutely insane.

 

It is like the old saying that nothing can be accomplished without norms or standards being set. How can an integrated Buddhist system be formed if there is no normative system or scientific management? How can we be good examples for the world? Therefore, the improvement of the Buddhist internal system should be done through the following aspects:

 

First, disciplinary actions should be taken against the monks who have violated Brahmacari through corruption, law-breaking, etc. In the meantime, they should be given relevant education and training.

 

Second, economically, in the light of the principle, “what is taken from the people is to be used in the interests of the people,” temples should be guided to join in the secular world to do good deeds for society and to solve problems for the common people. Charity funds, student support funds (education support funding), supporting the poor funds, funds of “ready to help others for a just cause,” etc., should be set up on an extensive basis. Original Buddhist dharma and justice should be praised and propagated. Meanwhile, educational institutes should be run systematically and scientifically to educate more ambitious young people who love their country and its people.

 

Third, they should devote themselves to all the activities of rescue and disaster relief to inspire and lead the common people with Buddhist wisdom and benevolence.

 

In a word, the Buddhist culture which has been passed on for over 2000 years has become an indelible part of human civilization after it has gone through its glory and hardships. History shows that from time immemorial, any ruler can use, blend, praise, refer to, apply and change Buddhism, but by no means can it be abandoned or abolished. In the past, present or in the future, Buddhism, as an NGO has and will continuously show its irreplaceable fountain of wisdom and benevolence in assisting the governing of a country.

 

 

                               佛教对政治的辅佐意义 - 第四部分: 中国大陆佛教现状及改良之策

 

当今佛教在中国大陆尚未发挥其应有的积极作用,究其原因,与佛教自身缺乏自律、缺乏对入世理念的认可和积极思考、体制陈旧和社会角色的错位以及政府过多的干预和管理等因素息息相关。

 

和谐宗派纷争

近年来,佛教界的显与密,甚至宗与宗、寺与寺之间出现了彼此纷争、各自为政的一盘散沙局面。僧众不能在宗派法理及修持方向上形成整体和融的共识。正是这种局部与整体的分离,使得佛教徒修持表面化、形式化、浅层化,形成了所谓的“泡沫佛教”现象;也正是因为这个因素,使得佛教日渐丧失对社会的服务价值,并使民众无法从当今佛法中得到真正的精神支持。在大陆,越来越多的人对佛教、尤其是汉传佛教产生不满,这从最近十多年来藏传及南传佛教的快速发展可见一斑。印顺法师曾经痛言:“传统佛教以禅宗为骨髓,而禅者已面目尽失。台贤沉寂,律制久废,乃唯以礼忏、念佛、持咒为佛法。昔日文化之为友为敌,唯儒与道;今则文化之新友新敌,将加入西方之宗教、哲学。处非常之变……”。

基于此因,佛教显密之间迫切需要足够的沟通与内部整顿。其实,自古显密本是一家,故化纷争之法唯以东土大乘统摄诸宗,方能一改今日之分离局面,正本清源。并可以此基础而形成强有力的“积极入世、为国分忧、为民造福”之共识,进而开展深入探讨入世之道,以辅助社会解决诸如“民众道德感缺失”、“心理问题日趋严重”等社会问题。并以NGO的形式,为国家内部的和谐、繁荣贡献力量。

 

改革丛林体制

寺院本是清静之地,方外之土,而当今寺院似乎成了生财之地,寺院所在地的地方政府对寺院宗教事务的管理和干预几乎无所不包,由此滋生了出家众的功利化。近年来,僧侣道德败坏、偏离出家人本位的现象在媒体频频曝光,从而引发民众对佛教慈悲与公信力的质疑。另一方面,在经济上,作为佛子,接受众生供养,本应精进修行,以慈悲智慧回报众生,而万万不该披着如来袈裟,依仗佛门名号去变相索取。

正所谓无规矩不成方圆,没有规范的制度和科学的管理、监督,何以形成一个清静的整体?何以做人间楷模?鉴于此,可从二方面着手进行相应的内部体制改良。

首先,应在佛教界内部对出家众腐败、违法等破坏梵行的行为进行内部惩戒,并进行相关的教育、培训和引导。

其次,在经济上,本着取之于民、用之于民的原则,引导寺院入世济善,为民排忧解难。广泛建立慈善、助学、扶贫、见义勇为等基金,赞美和宣扬正法正义。同时,系统、科学地办学,切实培养更多爱国爱民的有志青年;第三,积极投入各方救助、救灾活动中,以其慈悲智慧去感召和引领民众。

总之,传承了二千多年的佛教文化,历经辉煌与磨难,已成为人类文明不可磨灭的一部分。历史证明,自古执政者对佛教可借、可融、可扬、可引、可用、可变,而不可弃、不可灭,也无法灭之。佛教作为民间团体(NGO),对政治的辅佐,无论昨天、今天还是明天,已经也必将继续闪烁其无可替代的慈悲与智慧之光。