The busy figures of Tzu Chi volunteers and the well-known names of Dharma Drum Mountain and Fo Guang Shan are familiar to many in Taiwan. They are practitioners of Humanistic Buddhism. Compared to the long-standing four major Chinese Buddhist schools, this century-old movement is still young, yet it pulses with vitality. Actively serving society, it has swept away the impression that Buddhism is passive, escapist, or only concerned with the afterlife.

Humanistic Buddhism traces its roots to the revolutionary vision of Master Taixu in the early Republican era in China. He advocated that Buddhism should serve the people, promote social welfare, and help build a “pure land on earth”—a peaceful, enlightened world here and now. This redirected Buddhism’s focus from a distant future life to the present moment, and from isolated mountain retreats to active engagement with the human world.

Few would have expected that the spark behind Taixu’s reforms came from a scholar who had left Buddhism behind. During the turbulent early Republican period, many intellectuals sought reform. In 1921, Liang Shuming publicly renounced Buddhism in favor of Confucianism, criticizing how Buddhism in the late Ming and Qing dynasties had grown increasingly passive, disengaged from society, and powerless to save the nation. Humanistic Buddhism sprouted under the deep and challenging shadow of Liang’s critique. In 1938, Taixu’s disciple, Master Yinshun, responded to Liang’s call for concern with “this time, this place, these people” by deepening the focus on caring for those right in front of us.

In 1949, Master Yinshun and a group of prominent Buddhist figures came to Taiwan along with the Nationalist government, bringing with them new currents of thought. Just as modern society was beginning to value rationality, pragmatism, and social responsibility, Humanistic Buddhism began to blossom. It has since become a key force shaping contemporary Taiwanese Buddhism.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, even though Buddhists may view this world as an illusion, like a fleeting dream, we thank You for the many ways You have guided them to care deeply for the needs of this world. Open their eyes to see that the world is Your beautiful creation. The brokenness and suffering in life are not its essence but the result of sin drawing people away from walking with You. That is why Christ came into the world—to cleanse and renew our lives and to restore the beauty of Your creation. May these Buddhists, who actively go out to serve others, encounter the transforming power of the Lord, becoming a glorious spiritual temple built by You and a dwelling place of God among people. May they bring the good news of salvation to others and serve the hearts and lives of those in need with the love of the Merciful Lord. In Jesus Christ’s name we pray, Amen.