Venerable Taixu: Can Buddhism improve the real society?

Due to the changes of the times, it is no longer possible for the development of Chinese Buddhism to continue as it was in the same way in modern times, but it is necessary to make adjustments and reforms in all aspects to adapt to the times. Master Taixu was a theorist and practitioner in the reform movement of modern Chinese Buddhism. Influenced by bourgeois reformist and democratic ideas in his early years, he believed that "after the political revolution in China, Buddhism in China must also be revolutionized."

Therefore, he devoted his life to the cause of revitalizing Buddhism and building a new Buddhist culture. He founded the Sangha Institute to train new monks. Organize the Orthodox Faith Association of lay people to unite believers from all walks of life; He has made outstanding contributions to the publication of books, newspapers and magazines, and the promotion of Buddhist culture. Some of his ideas and opinions on the reform of Buddhism are still of great reference value today.

The master's ideas and practices for Buddhist reform are multifaceted, but mainly focused on two major aspects. This is what he summarized in his "Self-Statement of Zhi Xing": "The aim is to revitalize the Buddhist Sangha and walk in the Yoga Bodhisattva precepts."

In this regard, he said to himself: "Si Zhi Si Xing, Yu Gai decided in the winter of the fourth year of the Republic of China (1915), and so far (the thirteenth year of the Republic of China, 1924) has held on to the future. Further, this "place of aspiration" is also the one who he "will dedicate to this to the fullest, and quickly become the food for the long-term tribulation and cultivation of the Bodhisattva Path."

Therefore, starting from these two aspects, Master Taixu's conception and contribution to the development of modern Chinese Buddhism is undoubtedly the most appropriate.

The essence of Buddhism.

The enlightened one knows the truth of the universe of life.

The Sanskrit Buddha, the enlightened one, realized the truth (nature) of the facts (use) of all the dharmas of the universe in life, so he was called the enlightened one. The Buddha is not the god who created and presides over the heavens and the earth, but is the one who can understand the causes and effects of all things, all kinds of changes, and is thorough from top to bottom. Therefore, Buddhism is the study of realizing the truth of the universe of life, the enlightenment of confusion, and the destruction of ignorance and darkness.

Ordinary people mistakenly think that Buddhism is superstitious, but they do not know that they are delusional, and they fall into the pit without realizing it; If it is reversed like this, An Neng will not create all kinds of bad karma and incur bitter consequences!

What is factual truth? For example, the vase on the table is scientifically made of atoms. Buddhism says that he is the combination of the four major harmony of earth, water, fire, wind (hard and wet, warm), but the use of cause and effect and combination of falsehood has no real individual (emptiness); False appearance is a constant flow of change.

Far away and the world has all the laws, and the near and the five aggregates of body and mind are all causes and conditions and conjunctions that change instantaneously, such as the world has four major periods of success, dwelling, destruction and emptiness, and the life is continuous, and there are young and strong old age and death. Although the world is very different and changeable, its emptiness is also the same.

In short, the five aggregates are non-existent, the four essences are empty, and people have no discernment and cannot perceive them; Vainly separating people from each other from false appearances, and recovering from self-grasping, I am greedy, I love, I am stupid, I am slow, and even all kinds of reversals, causing chaos in the world, and there is no peace. If people can refrain from presumptuously believing that the illusory body is self from Buddhism, and realize the truth of the universe of life, all the dharmas are interrelated and void, and the world of harmony and happiness will not be difficult to realize.

The Enlightened One teaches us the way to go from being a human being to a Buddha – precepts and wisdom.

A Buddha is a person who has realized the truth of the whole universe, and that is, he has spoken out what he has realized, indicating that we can go from human beings to Buddhas, and we can attain Buddhahood. Buddhahood is not limited to human beings, the Buddha said, "All sentient beings have the wisdom and virtue of the Buddha", but we are human beings, so we start with humanity.

Human reason is equal to that of the Buddha and all sentient beings, but it is used separately. The Buddha is able to get rid of these bad habits and attain Bodhi from all sentient beings. We don't know it this way, and we cling to the small individual as the self, and the rest of the vast non-self, which is upside down, with obstacles everywhere, and cannot be liberated freely, nor can we be equal to the Buddha and receive all the Dharma pleasures.

The cause of the Buddha is the same as great compassion and great compassion without cause, and it is said that the precepts will be increased, and the impure three karma will be eliminated, and the inconceivable three wheels will be formed; It is said that the increase of the fixed learning, the elimination of its leakage and pollution, and the becoming the pure goodness without leakage; It is said that the increase in wisdom will eliminate the evil understanding and become the supreme pervasive awareness. We have the instincts of "liberation", "freedom" and "equality", and if we can work according to the principles of precept and wisdom, we will be able to attain the status of enlightened beings.