China News Agency, Beijing, August 15th, Question: Sheng Kai: Is the Sinicization of Buddhism the Secularization of Buddhism?
China News Agency reporter Li Hanxue
Since Buddhism was introduced into China for two thousand years, it has not only merged with Chinese culture and philosophical thought to form the three major language systems of Chinese, Tibetan and Southern Buddhism, but has also been deeply integrated into the ordinary daily use of the Chinese people inadvertently by many people today.
So can it be considered that "the Sinicization of Buddhism" has been "completed"?
Can the above historical process be understood as the "secularization" and "sinicization" of Buddhism in China?
Sheng Kai, deputy dean of the Institute of Morality and Religion at Tsinghua University and deputy director of the Institute of Chinese Buddhist Culture, recently accepted an exclusive interview with China News Agency "East and West Questions" to discuss the above topics.
A summary of the interview transcript is as follows:
Sinicization of Buddhism is a new form of Buddhism
China News Service reporter: How to accurately understand "the Sinicization of Buddhism"?
Why can't this process be understood as "sinicization" and "secularization"?
Sheng Kai: After BC, Buddhism was introduced to China from India.
For Buddhism to take root and develop in China, it must be ideologically compatible with China's inherent Confucianism, Taoism, Taoism and other cultures, and its beliefs must be integrated with the "ritual" culture. To be included and supported by the society, and supported by a thriving economy.
Therefore, to discuss the historical connotation of "Sinicization of Buddhism" is to explore the historical process and laws of the transformation of Buddhism from a foreign civilization to a Chinese religion, to sort out the continuity and rupture, inheritance and innovation between Indian Buddhism and Chinese Buddhism, and to examine Buddhism and Chinese Confucianism. , the conflict, interpretation and fusion between Taoist cultures, showing the interaction between Buddhism and Chinese society.
On October 29, 2018, the 5th World Buddhist Forum opened in Putian City, Fujian Province.
The picture shows the blessing ceremony held before the opening of the forum.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Wang Dongming
Compared with the introduction of other religions into China, the introduction of Buddhism from India to China has four essential characteristics:
First, the "weak organization" cultural transmission method.
Between Indian Buddhism and Chinese Buddhism, it is mainly the translation and dissemination of classic texts; monks communicate as individuals and have no organizational connection with Indian Buddhism, so there has never been a war caused by the spread of Buddhism.
Second, the original cultural fusion.
China's inherent Confucianism, Taoism and other cultures are the "background" of the development of Buddhism. Although there are conflicts between monkhood and filial piety, the original classical interpretation and theoretical innovation of Chinese Buddhism have resolved the ethical conflicts between the three religions and promoted the three religions. A cultural fusion of beauty and beauty.
The "Three Religious Temples" complex in Tongzhou, Beijing.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Du Yang
3. Cultural practice jointly created by elites and the public.
The "Sinicization of Buddhism" that has been going on for thousands of years is not simply the creation of elite intellectuals in the Buddhist and cultural circles, but the co-creation of "people who have a predestined relationship with Chinese Buddhism".
Fourth, the integration of global and local.
As the result of the "Sinicization of Buddhism", Chinese Buddhism is not only a local transformation of religious civilization outside the region, but also spread to East and Southeast Asia and other places.
Indian Buddhism was introduced to the Central Plains of China around BC, and was introduced to Tibet and Yunnan in the 7th and 11th centuries respectively, and was integrated with the cultural forms of different regions to form a culture with different national temperaments, forms and characteristics. The three branches: Chinese Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism and Southern Theravada Buddhism, respectively use Chinese, Tibetan and Dai scripts, and each emphasizes the teaching of Mahayana Buddhism, Esoteric Buddhism and Theravada Buddhism.
Therefore, "Sinicization of Buddhism" is not a single nationalization. For example, Southern Buddhism is believed by the Dai, Blang, De'ang, Achang and some Wa and Yi nationalities.
Even Han Buddhism is not a "Hanization" of Buddhism, because Han Buddhism was jointly created by monks from the Han and ethnic minorities, as well as expatriate monks.
Foreign monks from West Asia, Central Asia and South Asia, as well as monks from Khotan, Qiuci, Shule and other places in Xinjiang, China, went deep into Chinese to translate scriptures and preach.
Among the eight sects of Buddhism in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the establishment of San Lun, Consciousness-only, Huayan, Mi, and Chan all had the participation of non-Han monks, or were directly founded by non-Han monks.
Chinese Buddhism actually integrates the wisdom of multi-ethnic Buddhist monks and lay people, integrates multi-ethnic Buddhist ideology and culture, and reflects the complex character of multi-ethnic co-creation.
On October 24, 2015, the 4th World Buddhist Forum opened in Wuxi, Jiangsu.
In the early morning, the participants went to attend the opening ceremony.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Yang Bo
As far as the relationship with Indian Buddhism is concerned, the relationship between Chinese Mahayana Buddhism and Indian Mahayana Buddhism is creative transformation and innovative development.
The rupture is greater than the duration, but it does not lead to opposition; the innovation is greater than the inheritance, but the fundamental spirit of the Buddha is still preserved.
Therefore, the relationship between the two cannot be explored with a linear view of history, nor can a "secularized" narrative be used to describe the development of Buddhism in China in the past dynasties, that is, the previous generation will always prevail in the present.
The connotation of "secularization" in the context of Western culture is relative to "sacredness", as Iliad said in the preface of "Sacred and Secular": "Sacred is the opposite of secular." "Secular. The narrative of "hua" means that the spread and movement of Buddhism in China is a process of constant degeneration and decline.
However, "Sinicization of Buddhism" is not simply "Buddhism in China", but Indian Buddhism, through the interpretation and creation of Chinese Buddhists, took root and developed into a new form of Buddhism - Chinese Buddhism.
Humanistic Buddhist Thought is the Choice of the Path to "Sinicization of Buddhism"
China News Service reporter: The recent reform of "Human Buddhism" is a powerful change within the Buddhist community calling for self-reliance and adaptation to contemporary society.
Please introduce the background and significance of the thought and reformation of "Human Buddhism".
How do you understand the relationship between the "Sinicization of Buddhism" and the fact that Buddhism has remained alive in China to this day?
Shengkai: Buddhism in different periods will encounter different crises.
For example, Buddhism in the Southern and Northern Dynasties encountered the crisis of legitimacy of "dharma dissemination", and the "Battle between Yi and Xia" appeared; in the middle and late Ming Dynasty, Buddhism experienced a crisis of talents and a jungle crisis. Buddhist monks such as Yizhixu strongly advocated the reform of the jungle in the late Ming Dynasty and revitalized Buddhism in the late Ming Dynasty.
After the Opium War in 1840, the Chinese Buddhist community consciously advocated the idea of "Human Buddhism" in response to the dilemma of the nation's peril and the decline of Buddhism, promoted the organization of religious systems, the reform of educational properties, and the promotion of teachings, and moved towards the road of Buddhist modernization.
The proposal of Humanistic Buddhism not only promotes the transformation of modern Buddhism, but also has a new enlightenment and influence on the development of contemporary Buddhism.
"Human Buddhism" was first advocated by Master Taixu. It is a remedy for the "non-human" shortcomings of traditional Chinese Buddhism under the guidance of the principle of Buddhist doctrine and opportunity. Expose and criticize.
The theoretical construction and practical path of "Human Buddhism" after Master Taixu all have the same level and rich development.
Whether it is Master Zhao Pulao and Master Jinghui from the mainland, Master Yinshun and Master Shengyan from Taiwan, or Master Yanpei and Master Longgen from Singapore, they all profoundly embody that "Human Buddhism" is a path of pluralism and unity that goes hand in hand. .
"Human Buddhism" is not a new type of Buddhism outside of tradition, but a Buddhist thought that inherits tradition and adapts to the present, emphasizing that Buddhism should adapt to national conditions and the era background of modern civilization.
"Sinicization of Buddhism" has different historical connotations in different eras, such as the establishment of sects in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the Buddhist jungle reform in the late Ming Dynasty, and the modern "Human Buddhism".
Carrying forward the thought of Buddhism in the human world is the road consciousness to promote the healthy inheritance of Buddhism in contemporary China.
Summarizing the historical experience of "Buddhism in China" and the century-old path of "Human Buddhism", it can be seen that "Buddhism in China" is a road to self-consciousness that is going on forever, and it is the "magic weapon" that Buddhism has maintained its vitality in China to this day.
The Double Expectations and New Directions Facing Contemporary Chinese Buddhism
China News Service: What challenges do you think Chinese Buddhism faces in adapting to the times and society today?
How should we continue to follow the direction of "Sinicization of Buddhism"?
Shengkai: Buddhism is an important part of traditional Chinese culture, and it is a traditional culture that still has an important influence in the field of Chinese society and world culture. Its traditional charm is favored by today's Chinese; however, Buddhism is an active religion in contemporary Chinese society. The "pre-modern" institutional system, beliefs and customs of a group are inconsistent with modern civilization; even some parts of its ideological teachings are also inconsistent with today's politics and modern society.
Since the 21st century, Buddhism in mainland China has been faced with contradictory double "expectations".
The purity and serenity of the famous mountains and monasteries in the world are the spiritual home for modern people to treat their troubles and let go of their irritability; however, an invisible "economic hand" reaches out to this spiritual need, forming the much-maligned "commercialization" of Buddhism.
With the development of the tourism economy, Buddhist monasteries "contribute" their own pure practice space, but fail to meet the public's expectations for "cleanness".
At the same time, the relevant departments of the party and the state hope that the Buddhist community will maintain the pure tradition of the past "Nong Chan" era, and also hope that Buddhism can be integrated into modern economic and social life norms, such as the legal person system and modern asset and financial management.
On July 31, 2022, the Jiuhuashan Summit Forum on the Sinicization of Buddhism in the New Era was held in Jiuhuashan, Chizhou, Anhui Province. More than 40 Chinese scholars of religious studies and representatives of the Buddhist community attended.
Photo by Deng Qianjun issued by China News Agency
The Buddhist world itself needs to solve the problem of talent inheritance and survival. The key lies in the strictness of ordination and precepts, improving the overall quality and style of the Sangha, and encouraging the monks to return to the fine traditions of Buddhism, such as lecturing and commenting on the scriptures, spreading the Dharma, conducting education, and sitting in meditation. After waiting for internal fumigation.
At the same time, the state and society also need to support the Buddhist community to work hard and provide certain convenience for the life of the monastery and the economic development of the monastery.
The Buddhist community must respond to social needs, the quality of the sangha must be at the level of morality and benefit groups, and the monastery must hold activities to promote the Dharma and benefit the students, which can provide a certain amount of charity and public welfare, rather than directing the activities to the interests of the monastery itself.
The Buddhist community should also respond to the concerns and needs of the party and the state, adapt to the new situation and new requirements of building a modern socialist country in an all-round way, cultivate high-quality talents, advance the contemporary interpretation of Buddhist classics, and consolidate the ideological foundation for the sinicization of religions; improve the development of contemporary Buddhism Internal management normative system, strengthening the institutional guarantee for the Sinicization of Buddhism.
Buddhism has historically made important contributions to the formation and consolidation of the pluralistic Chinese nation, and today it can still play an important role in forging the consciousness of the Chinese nation as a community.
At the same time, Buddhism also has unique advantages in carrying out public welfare and charity, promoting the peaceful development of cross-strait relations, and enhancing Sino-foreign friendship.
(Finish)
Interviewee Profile:
Shengkai, Ph.D. of Nanjing University, was a postdoctoral fellow at the Department of Philosophy at Tsinghua University, an associate professor at the Department of Philosophy at Nanjing University, a special researcher at Otani University in Japan, a visiting scholar at the Department of Asian Studies at the University of British Columbia, Canada, and a visiting scholar at the Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Cambridge.
Now he is the chief expert of the major project of the National Social Science Fund "Social Life History of Chinese Buddhist Monks", the deputy dean of the Institute of Morality and Religion of Tsinghua University, the deputy director of the Department of Philosophy of Tsinghua University, professor, doctoral tutor, and the Institute of Chinese Buddhist Culture. Deputy Director, Editor-in-Chief of Buddhist Studies.
His research fields are Buddhist schools in the Southern and Northern Dynasties, the relationship between Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism, the social history of Chinese Buddhism, modern Buddhism, comparative studies of Buddhism and Western philosophy, etc.
His main works include "Chinese Chinese Buddhist Etiquette", "Research on Chinese Buddhist Confession Method", "Research on the School of Revelation", "The Thought and Belief in the Pure Land of Amitabha in Jin and Tang Dynasties", "Buddhist Modernization and Modernization", "Chinese Buddhist Belief and Life History", A History of Chinese Buddhist Faith and Life, "History of Geography School of Southern and Northern Dynasties", "Research Methodology of Buddhist Concept History and Social History", etc. Among them, "Study of She Lun School" won the 2008 National Excellent Doctoral Dissertation, the Fifth Higher Education Ministry of Education The third prize of the school's Humanities and Social Sciences, A History of Chinese Buddhist Faith and Life won the second prize of the 16th Beijing Municipal Philosophy and Social Sciences Outstanding Achievement Award.