Humanistic Buddhism

 

Sumanapal Bhikkhu

 

Abstract:

Primitive Buddhism is mainly concerned with the teachings of suffering, emptiness, impermanence, and selflessness. In course of time these teachings were interpreted negatively and Buddhism began to be considered as preaching a passive and negative view of life.  But the teachings of the Buddha can be interpreted in a different way. Though many Buddhists think life to be nothing but an experience of complete suffering the focus of Buddha's teachings was not on suffering but on the ways and means to eradicate suffering and attain ultimate peace. In reality suffering is beneficial for us. It makes us a better human being because when we suffer we want to learn, work hard, improve ourselves and transcend our present situation.  Hard work is the key to success. If a farmer wants good harvest he has to cultivate diligently, if a player wants to gain popularity he has to try hard, if we want to score good marks in examinations we have to study hard. We can get pleasant springs only after withstanding a harsh winter. In fact the Buddha wanted us to accept the realities of life in a natural and normal way and to prepare ourselves for an enlightened, enriching and more fulfilling life. If we sincerely follow the path drawn by the Buddha it will enable us to put an end to our suffering. If we contemplate on impurity this will resolve the problem of greed within us. The Buddha taught us to become pure and simple in our thought and mind. Humanistic Buddhism teaches us to become willing to give and sacrifice, to serve to propagate and practice the Dhamma and try for the liberation of human beings. Merely by praying and begging nothing will be achieved.  We need to follow the way of the Buddha in right earnest. Only by following the path of the Bodhisattva we can truly become a Buddha. The Buddha's true intention was to incorporate all kinds of existence in its fold and teach us to live with peace and amity.  In fact the Buddha resides in the heart of every peace-loving people. Everything in nature, the mountain and the river, the moon and the stars all are a manifestation of the Buddha. In today's society when human beings are yearning for a positive, happy, reassuring, and hopeful life it is high time for the propagation of humanistic Buddhism. This Buddhism which is the original intent of the Buddha would then serve as a lamp that would dispel the darkness of ignorance from the whole world. ________________

 

The Buddha was born more than 2550 years ago in Kapilavastu of modern Nepal, then a part of India. He started his life free from all the cares and lived in a very luxurious manner. Later he became alive to the sad realities of life and left home to find an answer to the problem of human suffering. After attaining enlightenment he taught the world those insights which he had attained and for this purpose he spent forty five long years. The term Buddhism means 'a collection of the Buddha 's compassion and teaching to the world. "Humanistic Buddhism is a contemporary movement within Buddhism originating in China, that gives more importance in the application of Buddhist principles in practical life focussing on the needs of the living. It was Venerable Tai Xu who first coined the term and after that it was adopted by Master Tsing Yun. The organization Fo-Guang Shan  established by Master Tsing Yun is dedicated to the development of Humanistic Buddhism.  The teachings of the Buddha is essentially for human beings and so the question which arises is 'What is the reason for inserting the term 'humanistic' in front of Buddhism?" 

The reason behind it is that since the Buddha lived and taught more than 2550 years ago various sects and schools appeared and presented different and diverging views and interpretations of his teachings which at times are even misleading and contradictory.

After Buddhism was spread to China now and then it was subjected to persecution and as a result of it Buddhist monks had to escape to mountainous forests to protect themselves from it. As a result they had to concentrate on spiritual development in solitude for their personal safety.¹  They interpreted human lives from their own standpoint and diminished the importance of money, and family ties. As a result of it Buddhism in some places came to be regarded as excessively other worldly and lacking human values. But if we remain true to the original teachings of the Buddha we will find that the teachings of the Buddha was out and out humanistic.

Today the world is moving through a phase of tension, violence, doubt, tyranny inequality and uncertainty. But the teachings of the Buddha taught us the very opposite--- peace equality and harmony. We all have Buddha nature within us which means all of us has the capacity to attain Buddhahood. When our true nature is revealed to ourselves we can find liberation and peace. And in this way we can be the master of ourselves. Thus taking refuge in the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha is another name for relying on oneself. This ideal of Buddhahood is very unique in itself and also is a great expression of the ideals of democracy and equality. In order to attain this goal the Buddha advised us to follow the five precepts.  It is a misconception to regard the precepts as a shackle and  on the contrary, in order to attain real freedom proper understanding of them is mandatory. The five precepts actually teach us not to trespass on other people's freedom. They are the following: (i) No killing (ii) No stealing (iii) No sexual misconduct (iv) No lying (v) No intoxicants. Precepts lie at the root of all advancement in the field of spirituality. They are the starting point of all virtues and merits as well as the basis of being human. The five precepts and the ten wholesome deeds are the preliminary teachings for us by the Buddha. They establish what we call standard human behaviour by supplying a direction towards which we can sail the ship of our life. We can trace humanistic Buddhism back to the original teachings of the Buddha.

However in recent years many scholars have started to study Buddhism not for the sake of faith but for bias, comparison and criticism. This has led Buddhist scholars to arrive at a common understanding for the sake of future advancement of Buddhism.

Since the Buddha was born in this world and attained Buddhahood here we should initiate our discourse on Buddhism by stressing his humanistic qualities. From historical evidence we arrive at the clear conclusion that the Buddha was historical figure who actually existed in this world at some given point of time. Even if the Buddha was a divine being he attained that status by virtue of his endless self cultivation that lasted all his life. The path showed by him is the path of liberating ourselves from the problems of life and offer solution to the problems of life and death as well as on the subject of our day to day existence. It is the very nature of man to be generally afraid to give something because they fear that by giving they will lose something valuable.² For this we think that doing meritorious deeds is difficult and fruitless. By we should bear in mind that unless we do not sow the seeds we cannot reap the harvest. In the same way if we want to get something we have to give something first. If there is no cause no effect will ensue. That is why humanistic Buddhism does not patronize either irrationality or blind faith.  On the contrary Humanistic Buddhism teaches us to be wise and rational. If we follow its teachings we will be able to lead a life that is blessed with physical and mental health and also free from stress and anxiety.

Apart from this our successors will inherit this blessings and we shall pass to them bountiful knowledge. In other words Humanistic Buddhism will awaken us a new faith that is real and can lead us to more peace and stability and shall enable us to visualise all phenomena from the perspective of Dependent Origination and emptiness. In short Humanistic Buddhism can be described as 'What the Buddha taught.³" From his very birth a human being needs the support and care of his family and society. At the same time a spiritual and aesthetic life is also required. The great light emanating from the Buddha permeated the whole world. Humanistic Buddhism gives more importance to the matters of everyday world than to those related to that of the other world and those related to the universal than to the personal. It is reasonable to depend on the Buddha to facilitate our confidence and personal growth. But it is not advisable to think that the praying to the Buddha will fulfill our narrow selfish desires. On the contrary what we need is a balanced faith characterized by giving and sacrifice. So the most remarkable character of Humanistic Buddhism is altruism and universality. In Humanistic Buddhism the practitioner strives for the attainment of Buddhahood. If one wants to attain Buddhahood one has to practice the Buddha's teachings and apply them to one's own life. The Buddha was a person who grew up as prince Siddhartha and became proficient in Five Sciences and Four Vedas at a tender age. Then in order to find an answer to the problem of human suffering he left home and got enlightenment. After that he devoted the rest of his life in the propagation of his teachings for the good and happiness of many. He taught his disciples to rely on the Dhamma and themselves.  He collected his living through begging. In his simple life the Buddha was the embodiment of the humanistic spirit of Buddhism. A profounder realisation of the Buddha's intention will help us in understanding the motive underlying the actions of the Buddha. By propounding humanistic Buddhism the Buddha advocated altruistic faith. So the value of Buddhism will increase if one can establish the concepts of Humanistic Buddhism at first. Actually Humanistic Buddhism calls for a blend between a 'this worldly spirit' and an 'other worldly transcendental mind ' In other words it teaches us to live in this world without being attached to it. The same applies to Buddhism also. Buddhism has a bright future if it can harmonize 'this worldly' and 'other worldly' thoughts. However, Humanistic Buddhism gives more importance to the affairs of this world than to the affairs of the other world. It considers real life to be more important than death and after life, greater good than lesser good, universal deliverance than personal deliverance. It is true that the ultimate goal of humanistic Buddhism is the attainment of Buddhahood but we can reach this goal only by serving and helping sentient beings. No one can reach this goal by avoiding humanity. The Buddhas and the Bodhisattvas aimed at achieving the liberation of all sentient beings. The sentient beings can be liberated only by practicing the Dharma. The ultimate of purpose Humanistic Buddhism is to guide all souls to liberation by making them to take the 'vow to attain Supreme Buddhahood '-- the end of suffering. It is not enough to treat Buddhism as merely a subject of study, or in other words from the standpoint of a scholar, what is needed is the application of those principles in life. Humanistic Buddhism is the sum total of everything that the Buddha had taught  The Buddha never used any harsh words to anyone and always spoke softly to others. Once after delivering a discourse in the palace of Visaka the Buddha went into Sravasti as usual. There he met a Brahmin who suddenly began to yell at him without any conceivable reason. The Buddha did not give any answer to what the Brahmin had said to him and this infuriated him even more. He took a handful of dust from the ground and threw it towards the Buddha. But as  breeze was blowing towards the Brahmin at that time the dust blew back to the Brahmin's face. Seeing this the Buddha uttered the following verse:" He who enforces anger upon one who is peaceful,/ Since this peaceful and righteous mind/ is freed from all sorts of afflictions,/ Any unwholesome thought enforced unto him/ Shall be returned onto him / Shall be returned to the unwholesome doer;/ It is like throwing dust into the wind,/ Eventually it will all come back to you " This means if s person speaks harshly only to hurt someone’s feelings he himself will suffer its consequences.

Though we are born in an age which is very distant from that of the Buddha we can discover daily routine by which the Buddha and his disciples spent their days.⁴ Everyday  the Buddha rose before the break of dawn and then he washed his hands and face and uttered prayers for the benefit of every sentient beings. Then he would lead his disciples in alms round along the streets of Rajagriha or Sravasti,  accepting offerings from the city dwellers in an orderly fashion. The demeanour of the monks while collecting alms was very dignified. When Sariputta met Aswaji in the streets of Sravasti for the first time he was so much impressed by his demeanour at the time of collecting alms that he approached him who his preceptor was and what he taught. By this daily alms round the Buddha and other monks remained in close contact with the different people and hence with the entire society. Walking was a very important characteristics of the life of a monk including the Buddha himself. This had many benefits: It  (i) enhances. stmaina, (ii) enhance tranquil contemplation (iii) provides greater immunity to illness (iv) aids in digestion (vi) prolonged period of meditative concentration.

The Buddha had many disciples and they had individual differences in them. Some of them were fond of meditating under trees or inside caves and some of them went to come into direct contact with people and teach them the Dhamma. The Buddha always encouraged his disciples to follow their own aptitude and interest. The Buddha was always very caring as a teacher and aided his disciples in time of need. The Buddha taught in different ways to the his disciples who had different mental make up or different intelligence levels. But the Buddha always treated his disciples as equals irrespective of their caste, creed, sex, intelligence level or financial standards. In this respect we may be consider the example of Upali.⁵ Upali was born in the family of a  barber. When he first saw royal princes taking the vows as monks and entering the monastery he became sad because he had thought that due to his lowly birth he would not get the privilege of doing the same. But later the Buddha himself initiated him in the order and ordered the royal princes who  took the precepts after him to show respect to him as the senior monk.

After having attained enlightenment the Buddha travelled on foot a vast area of the Indian subcontinent.⁶ He was the preceptor of devotees coming from all walks of life starting from the so called untouchables and lowly upto the powerful kings and queens of his time namely Bimbisara, Ajatasatru, Prasenjit and others. Apart from that wealthy merchants, poor farmers were also his followers. So the Buddha always tried to maintain peace and amity among his disciples. On many occasions he took active part in solving various disputes among different groups of his followers which might have resulted into bloody war. He gave his advice to every group of his disciples. For instance, he taught various ways of cultivation to farmers. To the statesman he would advise on how to govern a country, to merchants on how to manage his business. He was treated his disciples as equals. The Buddha was so compassionate that he helped everyone in distress. For instance, he helped Kisa Gotami who was grieving the death of her son by sending her to bring a handful of mustard seeds from a house where no one had ever died. When she found no such house she realized that no one can escape death. No one can be exempt from death and impermanence and death. One day we shall be separated even from our loved ones. The Buddha had many female devotees. Among them mention may be made of Queen Mallika, lay woman Visaka, even a courtesan like Amrapali received the benediction of the Buddha. While going to find his way towards cultivation the Buddha met king Bimbisara who being moved by his appearance and demeanour offered to give him half of his kingdom. The latter refused but promised to guide him if he ever attained Enlightenment. Then after attaining enlightenment the Buddha according to his promise went to Bimbisara and was donated the Venuvana Vihara by the king where he started living with  his disciples. Whenever the Buddha was at the vihara the king always visited him for his advice and suggestions. Prasenjit the king of Kosala was also a devotee of the Buddha. Because of being obese he suffered from many problems such as shortness of breath and the Buddha advised him to control his food intake. The Buddha also used to visit the houses of his disciples and advised the members of their families.

Malunkaputta a monk who constantly pondered over philosophical issues like the permanence of the earth or the existence of life after death was told by the Buddha that it was useless to discuss those topics. The Buddha  always gave more importance to matters that concerned real life. Remaining ignorant is a greater problem than committing mistakes. The difference is that a mistake can be corrected just on the same way one gets back up when fallen: while ignorance is like walking in the dark without a light. The humans need the light of wisdom to dispel the darkness from  their minds.

The above discussion is an ample proof of the humanistic lifestyle of the Buddha. However, human beings driven by their natural tendency to deify great men and women added many supernatural stories to his life. But in reality the main characteristics of the Buddha's life and teachings are simplicity, normality and impartiality. Through Buddha's chronicles we come to know of his altruistic life style. Humanistic Buddhism disseminated by the Buddha is a truthful and genuine philosophy. Today's world which is torn by tension and strife, hunger and depression is the fittest place for the working of humanistic Buddhism. The propagation and practice of it will be like a ray of hope for the entire world. Humanistic Buddhism is the rediscovery of the true characteristics of old Buddhism. 

Humanistic Buddhism was called 'humanistic because its founder the Buddha was a human being and not a god. Humanistic Buddhism has many advantages. It purifies our body and mind, makes us compassionate, it helps us to understand our inner self and increases our self confidence, b) provides us with the necessary wisdom to transcend this mundane world and teaches us to live a life of  ease and happiness. After the demise of the Buddha Buddhism  degenerated and became a superstitious belief that worships deities and spirits. By effectively eliminating fallacious views, correcting biases and rediscovering right views and right thought Humanistic Buddhism is a ray of hope to society because it will bring happiness to the world. The ultimate aim of Humanistic Buddhism is to take part in the affairs of this world with an attitude that belongs to the other world. It is aimed principally for lay Buddhists and does not bear relevance in respect to monastic Buddhism. Thus we must realize that we are all Buddhas ourselves and be proud to say that "I am a Buddha" Instead of placing our fate in the hands of divine entities, we should start to believe that we are the master of ourselves. The saying, " Rely on the self, rely on the Dharma, rely on nothing else' is the motto of Humanistic Buddhism. Instead of viewing ourselves as different from others we should learn to blend ourselves with others. Everything and everyone in this world are interrelated and interconnected. Humanistic Buddhism believes that humanity  can be better bigger and more transcending.

Humanistic Buddhism aims to achieve a state  of mind where we can get relief from all our tension and anxiety. This will enable us to reach a higher state of existence that is free from doubt, fear of loss, and  fear of death. In this higher state of existence we can rely on our own abilities. Humanistic Buddhism supplies us with the faith that inspires within us the confidence that whatever others say my chosen path is supreme and unsurpassed. No religion in this world not even Humanistic Buddhism can solve our problems for us. The Buddha at best can show us the way to our destination, we have travel alone in the path. This is the ultimate teaching of the Buddha and humanistic Buddhism.

References:

1.      Humanistic Buddhism by Venerable Master Hsing Yun Translated by Venerable Miao Guang p  X IV.

2.       Ibid., p.16.

3.      Ibid., p.32.

4.      Ibid., p.55.

5.      Ibid., p.67.

6.      Ibid., p.73.

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Sumanapal Bhikkhu (Dr. Subhasis Barua) Chairman: Bodhi- Nidhi Social Welfare Cultural Association, Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Guest Faculty, Department of Pali, University of Calcutta and The Sanskrit College and University,  Kolkata, West Bengal, India.