Glimpses of Humanistic Buddhism: The Complete Works of Dharma-Master Hsing Yun 星雲 (1927–2023) are now accessible in the Monumenta Serica Library

On the occasion of a generous book donation, Dharma Master Chue Yann 覺彥 of the Buddhist temple Fo-guang-Shan in Frankfurt visited the Monumenta Serica Institute, accompanied by two representatives of the Frankfurt branch of “Buddha’s Light International Association,” Ms. Ying Tai-Lan 殷泰蘭 and Mr. Liu Bo 劉波.

On behalf of the Master Hsing Yun Cultural and Educational Foundation Master Chue Yann presented the Complete Works of Master Hsing Yun to the Institute’s library. Hsing Yun , who recently passed away on 5 February, is the founder of “Humanistic Buddhism” (renjian fojiao 人間佛教) in Taiwan. This Buddhist movement is noted for its social activities and charity work. Xing Yun dashi quanji 星雲大师全集 comprises 108 volumes – a holy number in Buddhism that corresponds to the number of beads on a prayer chain.

Hsing Yun is recognized as one of the most influential teachers of contemporary Buddhism. He was born near Yangzhou in Jiangsu province in Mainland China. Meeting the important Buddhist reformer Taixu 太虚 (1890–1947) at Jiaoshan Monastery during his formation as a monk inspired Hsing Yun to adapt Mahayana Buddhism to the needs of today’s society. He fled to Taiwan in 1949 and founded the Fo-Guang-Shan International Buddhist Order as well as the Foguangshan 佛光山 monastery in Kaohsiung. The order is dedicated to culture, education, charity and spiritual cultivation. It has developed into one of the most popular Buddhist movements in Taiwan and has also expanded globally, counting more than 300 temples worldwide today, among them two in Germany, in Frankfurt and Berlin.

In his words of gratitude, Fr. Zbigniew Wesołowski SVD, Director of the Monumenta Serica Institute, appreciated the donation of Master Hsing Yun’s Complete Works as a contribution to interreligious dialogue. The Institute’s library is happy to make the book collection available to its visitors. – The lavishly designed edition, which contains, among others, teaching texts, speeches and diaries of the master, was published by Xinxing chubanshe 新星出版社 in Beijing in 2019.

Photos: Václav Mucha SVD