Taiwan went through an intense period of social change in 1949. The island's politics, economy, ethnicity …… had undergone considerable change. In response this period of tumultuous change, Master Dong Chu founded the "Humanity" magazine to help people cope.
Seventy years later, "Humanity" had weathered being shelved, relaunched and redesigned. It still continues to publish topics that help people cope with the changes in today's world monthly. As "Humanity" approaches its 70th anniversary, it is encountering a different kind of changing world. 27 June 2018, with the aim of sharing the diversity of spiritual practices, we invited dharma masters from different traditions to share the compassion and wisdom of Buddhadharma. The full texts of the keynote speeches and panels are included in this special issue of " Awakening in the Global Buddhist Village".
"Humanity's" guiding teacher, Master Sheng Yen, dedicated his life to bringing Chinese Chan Buddhism to the West. Many Westerners who became his students twenty to thirty years ago continue to follow his footsteps, engage in self cultivation and teaching, establish centers and transmit the lineage. How did they discover Chan Buddhism and how did they find their teacher, Master Sheng Yen? These stories of the teacher and the student are very inspirational.
In the twenty first century, on this 70th anniversary of "Humanity" magazine, Buddhism has spread around the world resembling a global Buddhist village. From the United States of America, Bhikkhu Bodhi described his process of transformation from a traditional monastic to that of a social advocator because he witnessed the oppression of human beings caused by the current social systems; to Italy's Bhikkhun? Dhammadinn? who shared about her journey of how she went from learning dancing to engaging in Buddhist research and ultimately to becoming a female monastic.
Contributing to the world in our capacity of Chinese Chan Buddhism, "Humanity"70 along with the Buddhist Dharma family all over the world and our friends on the same path, let us "Awaken in the Global Buddhist Village"!
About the Humanity magazine
Founded in 1949, Humanity magazine was the first Buddhist magazine published and released in Taiwan. Founded by Ven. Dong Chu and later continued by his disciple Master Sheng Yen, it has been one of the most influential magazines in Taiwan’s Buddhist circles.
Humanity magazine concerns itself about contemporary development of Buddhism, and puts an emphasis on the uplifting of people’s minds and spiritual lives. Each month’s topic not only touches upon various social phenomena, but also explores from Buddhist concepts to worldly studies, to encourage readers to search their inner beings and incorporate Buddhist practice into their daily lives. For cover and layout design, the magazine has invited outstanding illustrators to help render an elegant yet fun style, thus through pages allowing readers to slow down and find a space for spiritual relaxation, self-transformation, and the enjoyment of purity and freedom by applying the Dharma in life.
The magazine had been discontinued for a while due to Master Sheng Yen’s solitary retreat practice. When it was reissued in 1982, as an encouragement, he wrote:
Seek progress in the ordinary life and see the glory of life in hardship.
Seek development in harmony and see the hope in the hard work.
Seek abundance in peace and calm and see the solemness in the training.
Seek wisdom in silence and see the compassionate aspiration in the proactive commitment.
In the future, the Humanity magazine will continue to uphold Master Sheng Yen’s encouragements and expectations, to keep on sharing Buddhist wisdom and compassion, to help bring brightness and hope to the world.